Forever Forgotten
by allthewayanime
Summary: Seventeen year-old Charlotte Duckling moves from sunny San Diego, California to rainy Forks, Washington with her dad where she meets her imprint, Seth Clearwater. But will one incident cause her to leave her life behind? Will he be forever forgotten?
1. Moving

This is the whole summary. It wouldn't fit within the limit, and this seems like a reasonable place to put it. So may it be helpful, or not. Take it as you may.

Official Summary:

Seventeen year-old Charlotte Duckling moves from San Diego, California to Forks, Washington with her dad where she meets Seth Clearwater, her imprint. Everything's going fine until Charlotte finds out her mother, who she thought to be dead, was really alive. And her dad and Seth have kept this a secret from Charlotte struggles to keep both sides of her life together as time passes. But will one mistake cause her to leave one life behind? Will she remember...or will he be forever forgotten?

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>I sighed. Today was the say we moved. Just Dad and me.<p>

I stared out the window as all the familiar places and things that I had grown up with passed us by. I would miss my city of San Diego, California. To me this was home.

"Charlotte, please. It's not the end of the world," my dad said trying to comfort me.

"Yes it is," I mumbled.

I have been with my dad for as long as I could remember. I'm sure I had had a mother once, but she had died when I was very young. I still had pictures of her packed in the boxes waiting at our new house.

Our new house… I haven't even seen it yet. Dad said it was in Forks, somewhere in Washington. He said it rained almost constantly. I liked the rain. To me, it was like a soothing lullaby. I preferred the warmer rain, but Forks was up North; not much warm rain there.

I sighed again.

"Oh, come, now Charlotte."

"What do you want me to say? I've left my friends behind. I won't see them anymore. And how am I supposed to see Drake? Even though we do plan to see each other every other weekend, but it's not the

same!"

Drake was my boyfriend for almost a year. We didn't have time to have a day to ourselves before I left. We left the morning after school was out. We had said our goodbyes in my driveway as we pulled away. I missed him already.

"I'm sorry. Maybe you can make some new friends."

"It's not as easy as you think. I've grown up with my friends. You can't just go to a new high school and instantly become friends with everyone you meet. This is not kindergarten."

"You won't make any with that attitude."

I groaned. He obviously did not understand. I turned back to window.

We chose to drive the long distance to have our truck with us. Dad was going to fly back later and finish with our other house, bringing whatever was left and needed. All of our other belongings had been shipped to a friend of Dad's house where we would pick them up.

"Well, you have some of the summer to find new friends."

I nodded once and went back to my thoughts that were slowly pulling me to sleep.

I wonder what our new house will look like. I hope it's beautiful, with a new backyard and maybe a forest off on the edge. Didn't Dad say there were many trees?

My head dropped onto the cold window.

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

Everything was strangely quiet when I woke up. I looked around curiously.

"Hey, you're up."

I looked into a male's face who was sitting across from me in a chair. He had russet colored skin and short black hair. His eyes were very dark, almost black. He looked very tall and muscular. I sat up and looked around. I was in someone's house. Someone's empty house. There was nothing in this room except the couch I was laying on, the chair the male was sitting in, and a few boxes stacked in corners. Maybe someone is moving in… Or out.

"Do you like your house?"

My house? I looked at him. If this was my house, then why was he here? Who was he?

"I'm Jacob. Jacob Black." He held out his right hand. I didn't make a move to shake it.

"Where's my dad?" He had to be here somewhere.

There came the sound of someone pulling up from outside.

"That should be him now." Jacob dropped his hand and stood. "He might need help with the rest of the boxes. Wait here." He disappeared around a corner that I guessed separated this living room from the front door. Doors shut from outside.

I got up and looked around. It was a good-sized house. The kitchen was up to date. There were two bedrooms downstairs with a bathroom hooked to one. I didn't go to the second floor yet.

"Charlotte, Jake was right, you are up and about."

I turned to see my dad standing before me with boxes in his hand.

"Need help?" I asked walking over to him.

"No, I got it." He set the box down in a corner. "There, that's the last of them." He smiled at me. "So what do you think of the house? Amazing, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. So is my room down here?" If it was, I was disappointed. I didn't really want to share a bathroom with my dad.

He looked surprised. "No. Yours is upstairs. There are only two bedrooms up there so you can choose. Just to let you know, one has a bathroom to it. The other's bathroom is in the hall."

Well I knew which one I was choosing. I headed for the stairs.

"I'll send Jake up there with some of your stuff. I think someone else is coming to help too."

"Okay."

I took the stairs two at a time. I peeked inside the first door I found. Nope. No bathroom. I went to the next one. This one _was_ a bathroom. That only left the last one. I pushed open the door quickly and gasped.

"Wow."

It was bigger than the other three in the house. It had a tall ceiling that pointed up and wide walls. Along one wall were huge windows that reached from ceiling to floor uninterrupted. The other two walls were bare. The last wall had a door open. I assumed was the bathroom. All I could see was the sink at the moment. I looked for the closet door. If the room was big, what did the closet look like inside? There was only one door left. I ran to it and swung it open.

I was confused at first. Where were the racks? All that stood before me was another door. I hesitantly opened it. There were stairs going up. Stairs? Where did the lead to?

"Charlotte?" I heard someone call my name from the hallway.

"In here!" I called back.

"Oh. Hey what are you doing?"

"I found this door and stairs behind it." I felt someone come up behind me.

"It seems to be going somewhere."

"Yeah." I turned slightly to see Jacob. "Should I go up?"

"I don't know; if you want to. It's your room." He turned to leave and called over his shoulder, "I'm leaving your stuff in this corner."

"Yeah, that's fine." I didn't bother turning around.

I climbed the stairs slowly. At the top was another small room. It was dark and I fumbled for the light switch. My hand caught something velvety. I pulled gently. To my surprise, it fell to the floor at my feet. Rays of the early evening sun shone through another window, only this window covered the whole side of the wall and had a window seat. Impressive.

"I like this room." I smiled to myself.

You could see clearly out of the window. Below me was the backyard. Off in the distance was a wooden fence. Beyond that was a line of trees; the beginning of a forest.

"I really _really_ liked this room."

Someone was out in the backyard staring up at me. I waved and the person waved back. Dad. It was time to thank him. I didn't mind moving to this house. It was better than the old one! I quickly ran down the steps and out of my room where I promptly ran into someone and dropped to the floor.

"Ouch!"

What was this person made out of? It just felt like I ran into a brick wall! I rubbed my head.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" A warm hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me to my feet.

I shook myself off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Have to be careful while running," I laughed softly.

I glanced up to find a boy's face close to mine. I heard him gasp.

"What? Am I bleeding?" I instinctively reached for my forehead with my free arm.

He blinked. "No. No, you're not." He was staring at me.

"Oh, okay then." I waited for him to release me. A few minutes passed by. I started to grow self-conscious. I finally cleared my throat, blushing. "Um, you still have my arm."

He blinked several times, as if his was trying to wake himself up. "Oh…right…sorry." He dropped his hand.

"Well, I better go."

"Yeah…"

I walked slowly to the stairs. I could still feel his eyes staring after me. Who was he? And why was he looking at me like that? Another thought came to me.

His hand was unusually warm. Almost hot….Was that normal?


	2. The Imprint

{{Seth's POV}}

* * *

><p>I was relaxing in the forest in wolf-form, just a few miles from the beach. With my sensitive wolf nose, I still could smell the salty air. It was a peaceful day, and the forest was a perfect place to enjoy the day, especially after patrolling all night. I closed my eyes drifting off into sleep. I guess I was too tired to dream.<p>

_Hey _Seth! My eyes jerked open. Can't a person enjoy a nap?

_Wha_t? I asked sleepily.

_Oh sorry._

I groaned. _What is it Jake?_

_You need to wake up. Did you hear?_

_Hear what?_ I stood up, shaking out my fur.

_There are new people moving to Forks._

_Oh, yeah. How could I not? That's all anybody could talk about._

_Yeah, well, Sam wants us to help them move in._

I groaned. _I'm coming._

All I wanted to do today was relax and enjoy my off day. No patrolling, no commands… Apparently, that was not an option. Not since Sam was the alpha-male. I really missed Jake being the alpha.

Jake snorted. _Sorry kid. There really is no reason to have two packs. Everything is all fixed with me imprinting on Nessie._

_I know, but… everything was easier._

_Aw. Now you're making me feel bad._

_Sorry._

I felt him phase back. I followed Jake's scent to a white two-story house. I phased, pulled on my shorts, and walked towards the front. I could hear Jake inside, along with someone else. I heard a truck pulling up as I rounded the corner to the driveway.

Someone stuck their head out of the window.

"Hey." It was an older looking man. "Are you Seth?"

I nodded. "Jacob said you would be coming to help."

"Oh yeah." He stepped out of the truck and shook my hand.

"I'm Mr. Duckling."

"Nice to meet you." He flinched as he took note of my hot temperature. I smiled internally.

We both turned to the sound to the front door opening. It was Jake.

"Seth! You made it!"

"Jake." I nodded.

"Charlotte's awake now." Jake told Mr. Duckling.

"Oh that's good. I'll just take in a few boxes. Could you guys grab the rest?"

"Sure." We both replied at the same time. We watched him into the house.

"There's only two left. I think there are some inside that need to be taken to Charlotte's room though. The faster we get this done the faster we can leave."

"Right." I was already looking forward to more of my peaceful day.

"Oh, those are Charlotte's. She's upstairs. Could you take those up too please?" He gestured to more boxes in the corner. We nodded before Mr. Duckling disappeared around a corner.

Jake was coming down the stairs as I was going up. "Last one on the left."

"Thanks."

I heard hurried footsteps coming from the room. I didn't have time to see who it was before they collided with me.

"Ouch!" The person dropped to the floor. I peered around the boxes. It was a girl.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" I balanced them in one hand reaching out for her arm, pulling her to her feet.

She dusted herself off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Have to be careful while running," she laughed. She looked up at me and I gasped. "What? Am I bleeding?" She touched her forehead with her free arm.

I blinked. "No. No, you're not."

"Oh, okay then."

She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen, with long, wavy red hair and bright green eyes. She was small and petite too, like Alice, only a few inches taller. She was perfect.

She cleared her throat. "Um, you still have my arm," she said blushing.

"Oh…right…sorry." I dropped her hand.

"Well, I better go."

"Yeah…" I was still in a daze.

I watched her walk down the stairs. I still stood there staring after her.

In the back of my mind, something occurred to me…I had just imprinted.


	3. Exploring

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I tackled my dad as soon as I saw him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"<p>

He laughed. "Seems like you like your room."

"Yes! I absolutely love it!"

He laughed again and hugged me back.

I pulled back and pointed out behind us. "And there's a forest behind our house. That makes it better."

"There is another thing that I think you will like as well."

"What? What?" This was a lot of excitement for one day. But who was I to complain?

"If you follow the trail," he pointed to a little bend that had a small ribbon on a tree, "it'll lead you to a small clearing and a little pond."

"Really?"

He nodded. "It's only about a mile until you reach it."

"That's awesome!" I started towards it.

"Hold on just one second." He grabbed the back of my shirt keeping me still. I looked back at him puzzled. "You have to meet our guests."

Just as he said that, two guys came out from the backdoor. Even though I didn't know them, I recognized both.

"Oh. That's Jacob and someone I ran into coming out of my room."

They stopped in front of us. Now that I had time to stop, I looked more closely at the one I had run into. He looked a lot like Jacob–muscular, russet skin, dark eyes, similar haircut–but her was slightly shorter. His eyes were rounded, and his face looked sweeter. In a way, you could see that he was younger than Jacob and looked more like a child. And he didn't have a shirt on.

I stuck out my hand. "Charlotte Duckling."

"Seth Clearwater." He shook my hand, and I noticed his skin had the same unusually warm feeling to it.

"You're hot," I blurted out. He smiled. I heard my dad and Jacob chuckle. I realized how he might have taken it. "Oh, wait, I didn't mean it like that." I tried to control my thoughts, trying to straighten them out. "I―well―um―your skin… it's hot, well warm. Unusually warm. It's―uh―maybe I should just stop talking." I blushed.

"It's okay. I know what you mean." His voice was soft and held a caring edge to it. I instantly loved it. He still stared at me with the loving look. What's wrong with him? I couldn't look away from his eyes either. It felt like they were drawing me in. We continued to stare at each other.

My dad cleared his throat and I jumped. I looked away from Seth, feeling myself blush deeper. I saw Jacob shaking with barely contained laughter. What was so funny?

"Charlotte? The trail?" I looked at my dad confused for a second then gasped.

"Oh right! Can I go now?"

"Don't take too long."

"I won't." I took one last look at Jacob and Seth before heading for the trail. "See you guys around."

They both nodded.

"How about you guys come in for a while?" I heard my dad say.

"I'm sorry, but I have to be somewhere."

"Seth?"

"I have to go talk to Sam."

"Oh, that's fine then. We'll see you guys later. Thanks for all the help."

When I reached the edge of the forest, I turned to see my dad walking back inside. Jacob and Seth were already walking towards a car at the end of the driveway that I hadn't noticed before. Before they were gone, Seth looked at me and waved. Not sure what else to do, I waved back, watching his smile grow bigger. Then they disappeared around the corner and were gone.

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

I didn't stay at the little clearing long, only enough to look around. It was beautiful. It was a perfect circle with a pond near the edge to my left as the trail opened to the clearing. It was big enough to swim in and took up a little less than half of the clearing. It was like my own little paradise.

I walked back along the path to my new home. It was getting darker and I feared that I had stayed out too long. The path was getting harder to see and there was no moon out tonight. My house finally came into view, and I walked quickly towards it.

"Charlotte?"

"Yes?" I asked as I shut the back door.

"Where were you?"

"Still in the clearing. It didn't realize it was so late. Sorry."

"It's fine. I was just worried that you had gotten lost." He sat on the couch. "I was just about to come looking for you."

I sat on the couch beside him. "So what are we doing tomorrow?"

"I'm going to look around the town. What are you doing?"

"I don't know. Stay here? Finish unpacking." I shrugged.

"When you're done maybe you can go with me to La Push."

"Where is that?"

"Just outside of Forks. Jacob and Seth live there. You could hang out with them later."

"Hanging out with two teenage boys. Sounds like fun."

"Boys aren't that bad. You just have to get to know them first."

"Uh-huh." I got up and headed for the stairs. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Dad."

I ran up the stairs quickly and changed. As I looked around my room, I noted a few things. The room didn't have curtains. I would definitely need some for the floor-to-ceiling windows. And paint for the walls. And more decorations. I had the whole summer to decorate. I wondered if Dad would loan me his credit card to buy a few things… I think he would if I asked nicely and not go overboard.

I didn't realize how tired I was until I was in bed. I yawned and closed my eyes. I quickly fell asleep, thinking of all the possibilities for my new room.


	4. New Car

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>Sunlight shone through the uncovered windows to me. I groaned and rolled over trying to find sleep again. With no success, I went to get dressed. I took a quick shower and threw on some jeans and a t-shirt. As I was pulling my hair into a high ponytail, I heard voices downstairs and went to investigate. The smell of food hit me as I reached the bottom. I rounded the corner to the kitchen. Three pairs of eyes looked up at me.<p>

"Nice to see you're up Charlotte."

"Yeah." I looked at the other two people sitting in my kitchen. Jacob and Seth. What were they doing here? "Uh, hi."

"Hey," they both said.

"What time is it?" I asked as I went for a stack of pancakes.

"Almost noon."

"Really?" I didn't realize I had slept that long. "I must have been really tired then." I sat across the table from Seth. He smiled gently.

"We were going to leave, but now that you're up, there's something I have to show you." My dad pulled me from the table before I could take a bite.

"Can't this wait until after I eat?" I complained. "I'm hungry."

"No, not really. Trust me, you'll like it." We headed down the hall towards the front door. Jacob and Seth were right behind us.

"Wait, I don't have any shoes on."

"Don't worry about it." He stopped before opening the door. "Cover your eyes."

"Why?"

"Charlotte, please." I sighed, and I put one hand over my eyes, while he took to other arm and lead me outside. I felt the soft grass under my feet then the gravel of the driveway. "Okay stop." My dad dropped my arm. "Seth, make sure she doesn't peek."

I felt warm hands cover my hand over my eyes. A woody smell filled my nostrils.

"No peeking just yet." He told me. I could feel his breathe on hair. The smell seemed to be coming from him. A few seconds went by before I heard my dad speak. "Okay, now, she can look."

I gently pulled his hands from my eyes. My eyes focused on a blue Bug. A beautiful, sleek, shiny, new Bug. "Oh. My. Gosh. You bought me a Bug? Really?"

"Yup and it's all yours."

I lunged myself at him. He stepped back a few steps as he caught me. "I love it so much! Thank you!" How totally awesome was this?

"You want to drive it?" He dangled the keys out in front of me.

"Heck yes!" I grabbed the keys and clutched them tightly. "Wait, I need shoes." I ran back inside quickly and out again. "Who's ready to take a spin?"

All three looked at me carefully. "Come on, I won't crash."

"Uh, well truthfully, I have to be somewhere," Jacob said.

"Oh, okay. Dad?"

"Sorry, sweetie. I've seen how you drive. I don't plan on having an early funeral."

I frowned. Did I really drive badly? I didn't think so. After all, I had only hit three mailboxes in the past month...

I turned to the last person standing beside me. "Seth?"

He seemed shocked, but then smiled. "As long as you promise not to kill me."

"I won't. I promise." I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the Bug. "If I do, you can come back and haunt me."

"Gladly."

I laughed.

My dad was at my window as I started the car. "Okay now, seatbelts. Don't forget to use blinkers and brakes, no speeding, watch for pedestrians, and―"

"See, this is why I get nervous when driving with you, Dad."

"We don't want Seth here to die, do we?"

"Absolutely," Jacob added behind my dad. "He has patrol tonight and Sam would be really upset if he was missing. And besides, you can't kill a were―"He stopped abruptly when Dad punched him in the arm. "What?" My dad glared at him. "Oh, right, sorry."

I was momentarily confused. I looked at Seth to see his reaction. He was also glaring at Jacob. He smiled shyly when he looked back at me. "Uh, should we be off?"

"Um," I looked back at my dad and Jacob, "yeah. I think so. See you later." I backed out slowly.

What just happened? It seemed like all three of them were trying to keep a big secret from me. I peeked over at Seth out of the corner of my eye. He seemed to be deep in thought. Should I ask him? He might know. He gave Jacob the same look my dad did… No, I shouldn't say anything about it. Not yet anyway…


	5. Embrace

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>We arrived back in a few hours. I was careful and didn't run over anything. Although, I did almost hit another car once. If Seth hadn't grabbed the wheel at the last minute, we would have caused a crash.<p>

"Sorry," I apologized when the car was back under control.

He didn't say anything, just shook his head.

We pulled up in the driveway. It didn't seem like anybody was home yet. Maybe Dad had parked his car in the garage.

"You want to come in?" I asked Seth. I didn't want to leave him out here when Jacob wasn't here yet. He was the one driving him back home.

"Sure."

We stepped out and walked to the door. I unlocked it.

"I don't know when Jacob is coming back, but you can stay here for a while." I turned to look at him, but he wasn't behind me. "Seth?"

He was standing a few feet from my car, looking into the forest. I walked up behind him.

"Seth?" I touched his shoulder. He spun around quickly making me jump back in surprise. His face looked troubled, eyes glazed over. "Hey, are you okay?" He seemed to relax at my voice.

"Uh, yeah. Just thought I saw something." His eyes glanced around quickly before resting on me again.

I looked around his shoulder. "Like what?" I clearly didn't see anything out here. Then again, it was getting dark.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He gestured to the front door that was still open. "Shall we?"

I nodded and turned towards the door. I saw his gaze swipe outside again before he closed the door behind him.

"Hungry?" I asked, walking towards the kitchen.

"No, I'm fine."

I went to make a sandwich then went to sit in the living room. He followed close behind.

"Well, it looks like someone has fixed up the TV." It was the only thing hooked up; the room still had boxes everywhere.

"It was the first thing your dad put together."

"No surprise there." There was only the single couch still sitting there. The chair was nowhere to be seen. I sat near the edge, curling my feet underneath me, making room for him.

I flicked on the TV. The news was on. We silently watched it for a few hours. I had put my plate on the floor. I yawned, feeling myself starting to drift off to sleep.

"Sleepy?"

"A little." A clock struck 10 somewhere in the house. I laid my head in my arms. I yawned again.

He laughed, silently shaking the couch. "Come here." He held open his arms.

I didn't think twice about crawling into them. They looked so warm and inviting. I snuggled close to him, relaxing and enjoying the sweet woody and slightly musky smell coming off him as his arms wrapped around me. I let out a small sigh.

"Comfortable?"

I nodded. I could hear his steady heartbeat. _He is so warm,_ I thought. I was slowly fading into sleep.

"Charlotte?"

"Hmmm..." Why was he waking me?

"I have to tell you something."

"Mmmm..." I tried to stay awake, but it wasn't working.

I feel asleep before he said anything.


	6. Shopping

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>Morning sunlight sprinkled my face. I groaned and rolled over.<p>

_Thud._

"Oh!" I had forgotten that I fell asleep on the couch. I sat up rubbing my head.

Someone chuckled behind me. I looked up to see my dad standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Seems like you forgot you were on the couch."

"Yeah, I did." I slowly untangled myself from the blanket. "Hey, did Seth leave last night? I mean did Jacob come back and take him home?"

He had already gone back into the kitchen. "No. Jacob was a little busy, so I took him home."

"Oh." I went into the kitchen looking for something to eat. I grabbed a granola bar.

"You're up early this morning."

"Hmmm."

"So what are you doing today?"

I shrugged. "Decorating? I didn't have time to do it yesterday."

He nodded. "While you and Seth were out yesterday, Jake and I picked up a few things." He gestured outside. "In the truck there is some paint for your room. There is also a delivery truck coming by later to deliver your new bed. Didn't you say you wanted a circular bed when we moved? Anyway, I thought you would like this one. It sits on a platform. It also comes with a few matching dressers."

"Thanks."

"Well, I guess that's all."

I noticed that he was dressed. "Wait, where are you going so early in the morning?"

"Out."

"Where?"

He was standing at the open door. He smiled. "Don't worry. You won't be here alone much longer. An hour or two at the most."

"Huh? Why?"

"I'm sure Seth will be coming by in a while."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged ignoring my question. "Don't wait up for me. I'll be gone all day. Enjoy the peace." He closed the door after himself.

I was all alone in my house. I guess I should start painting before the delivery truck comes. I paused. _I think he took the truck._

I opened the door and stepped outside. He was already gone. Crap. I looked around and noticed that there were cans stacked on the ground. _Well at least he left them here._ I took my time taking them inside one by one.

Since I had hardwood in my room, I didn't worry about laying down anything. I opened all the cans of paint. Blue, black, and green. At least he got my color choices right.

I started to paint the walls black. I had an idea to paint them with blue and green polka dots. It took me a few hours to realize how it was going to paint the polka dots.

"Crap. I don't suppose he bought any tape either." I grabbed my keys and wallet and headed for the door.

"Oh, wait. I didn't change yet." I looked down at my rumpled jeans and t- shirt. "Maybe a quick shower."

I raced upstairs to shower and change quickly. As I reached the bottom stairs with my keys and wallet, brushing my hair, there was a knock at the front door. I peeked through the peephole to find Seth standing there. So Dad was right. He did come.

I opened the door to let him in. "Hey."

"Hey." He took at quick look over me. "Going out somewhere?"

"Yes, I am actually. I need to pick up a few things for my room."

"Oh. Can I tag along? I mean if that's okay with you. Or I can just hang out here."

"Oh, I don't mind." I stepped outside. We piled into my car.

"Oh. You wouldn't happen to know where you could get tape for painting do you? And I might as well get curtains… And maybe a few chairs and a table for the upstairs room." I frowned. "Well do you know where there is a good shopping place? I guess that would take care of a lot of things on my list." Even though I was making the list as I go…

"Port Angeles. I'm sure you can find most of what you're looking for there."

"Okay. Uh, how do I get there?"

He laughed. "Just follow the signs out of Forks. I'll direct you if you're going wrong."

I nodded and pulled out slowly. "If we get lost, I'm holding you personally responsible."

"We won't get lost. Trust me."

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

We arrived in Port Angeles almost an hour later.

"Told you we wouldn't get lost."

We walked from store to store. I found everything that I was looking for but the curtains.

"It shouldn't be this hard to find."

"Actually we did find some."

I sighed. "Yeah, but I didn't like them."

"Picky picky."

"That's what you get for going shopping with a girl."

He grinned. "I have an older sister. I'm used to it."

"I bet she drags you everywhere."

He shrugged. "Not really. I have better things to do."

"Like hang out with me? I must be boring you."

"No. It's okay. I don't mind at all. It's better than being with my sister, Leah."

"Why?"

"Let's just say she can get a little depressing sometimes."

"Oh. I wish I had a sibling sometimes."

He snorted. "I wish I could get rid of Leah sometimes."

"Oh, come on. She can't be that depressing. I'm sure she's just going through some rough times."

"If you call a few years a 'rough time' then sure."

"A few years?"

He sighed. "It's boyfriend issues."

"Aw, Seth, every girl is going to have boyfriend issues." I thought about Drake. I haven't talked to him in days. Maybe I should call him later.

"Everyone it seems but you."

"What are you trying to say? That I'm not capable of having a boyfriend," I laughed.

"You have a boyfriend?" I noticed he stopped a few steps behind.

"Um, yes." His face seemed to fall. "What?"

He blinked at me and shook his head. "Nothing." He continued to walk. He was taking longer strides than before. What was wrong with him?

"Hey, wait, slow down." He stopped abruptly and I ran into his back. I stepped back a few steps to gain my balance. I looked back at him to find that he was shaking a little. "Seth what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing. It's just…we haven't found everything that you are looking for." He kept his back turned to me. "We should probably keep looking." He began walking again, still taking long strides. I had to practically run to catch up with him.

What's wrong with him? Why is he acting weird all of a sudden?

I didn't dare to ask anything. I just tried to keep pace with him and stayed quiet.


	7. Encounter

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>I finally found the right curtains. They were a brilliant shade of deep red and made of velvet. They were quiet heavy, but I liked them all the same. Seth stilled seemed quiet. Why is that? Was it because I told him I had a boyfriend? But why would he act so strange? I knew I didn't have the answers to these questions. I was still wondering about the other day when everyone was acting strange. Why were they keeping a secret from me?<p>

I sighed. Seth looked at me with raised eyebrows. I shook my head at him. Even though I had only been in Forks for a few days, it already seemed that I had stress to deal with. We were headed back to my car when someone called my name.

"Charlotte?"

I glanced around. Seth's head was turned and was staring at someone that was coming towards us. I followed his gaze.

"Drake?"

It couldn't be him could it? He was still is San Diego. But as the blond haired boy came closer, I found that it was him. He stopped a few steps away from me.

"Charlotte. I knew it was you." He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

I blushed. If Seth was acting weird before I wondered what his reaction to this would be now. He had a strange look on his face and was trembling.

I pulled back from Drake. "Wh-what are you doing here?" I stuttered. "Or better yet, why are you here? Shouldn't you be in San Diego?"

"Oh well, my parents were coming here for a few hours on a business trip and I came along."

"Oh."

"I've been seeing girls everywhere that have looked like you. I thought you were another hallucination. I'm glad I stopped you." He grinned broadly.

"Uh, yeah, I─" I detangled myself from him and took a small step back. He looked at me with a hurt expression.

"Charlotte?" He was waiting for me to say something. I really didn't know what to say. I was caught off guard.

I averted my eyes from him. It was strange how he just turned up here. But then again he came with his parents. _He was just here by coincidence,_ I told myself. I looked back at him. I couldn't keep him waiting.

Seth cleared his throat and we both looked at him. Oh!

"Drake, this is Seth. He's a friend. Seth this is Drake, my boyfriend." I didn't know if I imagined it or not, but it looked like Seth flinched and was beginning to tremble even more. They both nodded at each other. A few seconds passed.

"Charlotte? I'm going to go put these in your car." Seth seemed uncomfortable.

"Okay."

I handed him the keys and the bags I carried and watched him walk away. He obviously was giving us some privacy. Not that I wanted it.

"So…" Drake nodded in Seth's direction.

I narrowed my eyes. "He's a friend."

"And he just happens to be here with you?"

"Yes. I wasn't going to live him at my house alone."

"Your house? Why was he at your house? Didn't you just meet him? You haven't been here very long to have trust in anybody."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

"Well it's just that I find you with another guy that you've just met and…" He shrugged.

"And?"

"I find it…strange."

"He's a _friend_."

"Alright, if you say so." He held up his hands defensively. I crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh, Charlotte don't be mad. I─I didn't mean it like that."

"Okay." I wasn't going to hold anything against him, but still...

"Charlotte."

I sighed. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later." I turned and walked quickly towards my car before he could react. Seth was waiting inside.

"Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's okay."

"So home now?"

"I guess."

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

I rushed upstairs to finish my room while Seth hung out downstairs. I placed different sized circles along the walls and started to paint. I was on the last wall when Seth peeked his head around the corner. "Hey Charlotte?"

I glanced over my shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Need help?"

All I had left was to paint the little room above mine. "Uh, there's a little room up there if you take the stairs." I pointed to the doorway. "Can you start painting up there? All the supplies are there."

"Okay."

An hour later, everything was painted and finished. I had to move my belongings into the other room sense it would take a few hours for the paint to completely dry. I didn't want to risk the wet paint ruining my furniture. It was nearly five in the afternoon. We hadn't eaten lunch yet so I settled for a bag of Cheetos. I offered some to Seth, but he declined.

"I haven't seen you eat anything today." He shrugged. I briefly wondered if he was still upset. I didn't see why he would be. There was nothing for him to be upset over. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" I asked. "You've been pretty quiet since this morning."

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just thinking." He stared at me. "I have to go." He quickly headed for the door.

"Wait." I grabbed his arm. "Something is bothering you. Why won't you tell me? I know it has something to do with this morning and Drake showing up." I felt him stiffen, but I ignored it and continued. "You were fine until I told you I had a boyfriend," I whispered.

Then it dawned on me.

_He liked me._

I released his arm and stepped back. He looked at me confused. We stood there staring at each other for a few seconds. He leaned forward slowly until he was only inches away from my face. I could see into his eyes clearly. They seemed sad and slightly hesitate and hoping all at the same time. I knew before he did it what he was going to do, yet I didn't want to pull away. He leaned forward, closing the rest of the distance between us. His lips pressed gently to mine. They were warm and soft and sent tingles down my spine. It lasted for a good three seconds before I felt his hand on my back pulling me closer.

I squealed and jumped back quickly. I couldn't believe he kissed me. I couldn't believe I kissed him back. I couldn't believe I enjoyed it...

"Charlotte, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I─"

"No, you shouldn't have," I interrupted. I looked down at my hands.

The sound of a door being shut caught our attention. My dad entered a moment later. He registered the awkward silence between us. Seth and I were standing only a few feet apart. I was looking everywhere but at Seth, and Seth was staring at me; I could feel it.

"Uh, hello." Neither one of us moved. "Okay then…"

"I think I better go." My head jerked up to see Seth closing the door behind him. I sank into the couch.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing."

He stood in front of me. "Charlotte."

I shook my head. "I don't want to talk about it." I quickly headed for the stairs only to remember that my room was freshly painted. I reversed and headed for the kitchen. I placed my bag of Cheetos back on the shelf.

"Did he hurt you?" My dad stood in the doorway blocking the way out.

"No."

"Did he threaten you?"

"No."

"Did he─"

"No, no, it's nothing like that. He just…just…" I trailed off. "I don't want to talk about this Dad." I looked away from him. "Not now."

"Okay," he said as he held up his hands. "I won't bother you about this."

"I'm going to watch TV until I fall asleep." I quickly pushed passed him and sat on the couch again until I fell asleep.

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

Fog swirled around me. I knew this was a dream. I was standing in the middle of a clearing. It was the same clearing that was in the forest. I was standing near to edge of the water looking in. The water seemed to freeze over as I touched it. I gasped.

A low whine came from behind me. I turned to see a wolf laying a few feet from me. I slowly approached it. It was sandy colored. It stood up when it saw me. It towered well above me. I didn't feel scared; I felt happy that it was there beside me.

A name whispered in my head. _Seth._

The oversized wolf titled its head, as if it could hear me.

_I can hear you._

I stared at it in surprise. Did it just talk to me? And why does its voice sound like Seth's?

It let out a bark that sounded like laughter. _I can hear your thoughts, Charlotte._

Was I losing my mind? Was I really communicating with this wolf?

_You're not crazy. Don't you remember? We've done this before._

Remember what? How was this even possible? Wolves didn't get this big did they? And they certainly don't talk to people through their minds…

_Well, no, not normally like how we are talking. Usually you have to be part of the pack._

I was getting very confused. Pack? What pack? Nothing made sense. There were a billion questions forming in my head. Why is this wolf talking to me? Why did the water freeze when I touched it? Why am I out here? Where is everybody? Why does the wolf sound like Seth? Where is Seth? More thoughts came to me as I looked around… Who are these people? Why are they here? Why are they in black cloaks? Why are their eyes red? Why are they coming closer? Why do I feel the sudden need to stand and fight? Are they deadly? What's going on? What's happening?

The figures were stalking closer and closer.

I didn't have time to have these questions answered. The people in black cloaks suddenly pounced. The wolf beside me growled and lunged itself in a protective crouch in front of me.

One of the figures was suddenly between the wolf and me. It punched the wolf hard where it landed with a sickening crack against a few trees.

No…No…

The figure turned to me. It was a girl maybe a little younger than I was. Her smile became a wide, wicked smirk. I stepped back in fear.

_No! Don't! Leave her alone!_ It seemed like the wolf was yelling at her.

I saw the wolf struggle getting to its feet. It looked badly hurt. I took a step towards it. I didn't get far before I cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

_NO! NO! PLEASE STOP!_

Everything was getting fuzzy. I screamed again. It felt like someone was shocking me. I couldn't move. My senses were fading…my eyes slipped closed. The last thing I heard was a very angry, very loud growl, and then everything was silent….


	8. Saved by a Wolf

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>It had been a few weeks since the last time I saw Seth. I always felt a slight pain when I didn't see him after a few of the first days. He always hung around and I was getting used to it. Now that he was gone, I felt lonely. Whenever I went to the little clearing that my dad had showed me, I always felt better. I felt like I could sense him there with me.<p>

I got dressed for the day. It was a warm day, so I decide to wear one of my dresses. It was a simple knee-length dark blue dress with short sleeves.

I, once again, felt the need to go to the clearing. I leaned against a tree trunk and closed my eyes. Something was missing. I soon released that this trip to my little safe haven didn't seem to comfort me.

A soft rustling sound came from behind, followed by soft cursing. I opened my eyes to find Drake stumbling out of the line of trees.

"Drake?" I stood. "What are you doing here? I thought you left a few weeks ago."

He looked at me as if I was the one intruding. "Well, I did. Then I came back. Remember we said we'd see each other almost every weekend?"

I did remember, but I was too busy worried about other things─person─than to remember him.

"When you didn't answer your phone, I figured I would come see how you were doing."

I remembered him calling and leaving me messages and texting, but I never really got around to answering any of them.

"So I kind of tracked you down and followed you out here." He now stood only a few feet from me.

"I was busy," I simply replied.

"With what?"

"Things."

"What type of things?"

I frowned. "It's not really your business." I didn't want him here; he was ruining my peace.

"Charlotte, you're my girlfriend, it is my business to know that you're safe and doing okay."

"Well, I am, so you can leave now."

His browed furrowed. "Is this about that Seth guy I meet the last time I saw you? Has he hurt you? Because if he has then I swear I'll kill him."

I snorted at the fact of seeing Seth and Drake fighting. Seth was huge and muscular. Drake was small and fragile compared to him. I shook my head. "No, he hasn't. He would never hurt me."

He looked at me as confusion swept across his features. "How can you know for sure if you've only known him for a few weeks?"

I shrugged. I just knew that down inside Seth wouldn't ever intentionally hurt me.

"Charlotte, if you don't want us to date anymore all you have to do is say something. You don't have to sneak around with him."

"Who?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

He seemed taken aback by my tone, which had turned cold. "Never mind," he said after a long pause.

"Wait, you think I like Seth?"

"I didn't say that."

"It was implied."

"B-but that's not what I said."

"Your stuttering speaks for what you think."

"Charlotte. Let's think about this reasonably."

"I am. Now if you'll excuse me, there is somewhere I have to be." I turned away from him and headed back to the trail that lead the way back to my house.

"No." He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "You are not leaving." His arms wrapped around my waist.

"Drake. Let go of me."

"No." He pressed me up against a tree and pinned me.

"Drake."

He kissed me harshly, then started to trail kisses down my neck. His hand slowly slid up my thigh. He tugged at the end of my dress. "Shall we take this off?" He whispered in my ear.

"Drake! Stop!" I tried to push him off.

He chuckled.

_Go limp_, a thought whispered to me. Therefore, I did. I slid to the base of the tree.

"Aw, you little cheater. You honestly think that will work?"

I tried to quickly crawl under his legs. He grabbed my ankle, stopping me. "No, no sweetie." I kicked his hands away. He let go and smiled devilishly as he leaned back against the tree.

This was my chance to run. I stood up quickly and ran. He tackled me to the ground before I had even gone a few steps and I landed hard beneath him.

"We can't have you running away." I tried to fight him off but he was too strong. He straddled my body. I couldn't move, no matter how hard I struggled.

"Drake! Get off me!"

He chuckled again, running his hand across my face. His other hand was again trailing up my thigh again. I felt my dress start to lift slowly. "Drake…" My voice was barely above a whisper.

Off in the distance, I heard a wolf howl.

"Shh." He leaned forward and kissed me harshly again. I could feel his hardness being pressed into my inner thigh. His hand continued to travel further up. I squirmed.

"Aw charlotte. I'm not even hurting you yet."

"Drake, please. Let me go."

"Not until I'm done." He pulled my dress over my head.

I heard the howl again. It sounded closer. A lot closer. There was also the faint sound of thumping.

"Drake. Don't. Please."

A deep growl came from our right. Drake jumped, but made no move to get off me. We both turned our head.

Before us stood a large, sandy-colored wolf. The same wolf from my dream a few weeks ago.


	9. Secret Revealed

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>The wolf was coming out of the trees. It paused, looking from me to Drake. It growled again and lunged. I closed my eyes tightly, bracing for impact. I felt the weight above me lessen and the air whoosh by.<p>

I slowly opened my eyes.

There was a sickening crack and someone screamed.

I jerked up and looked around.

Drake… The wolf had him pinned to the ground. It was growling fiercely. Its jaws were inches from Drake's face. It already looked like the wolf had broken one of his legs. It was twisted in an unusual way and blood was pooling around his jeans. All I could do was stare. It seemed like Drake had passed out shortly after.

Suddenly the wolf jerked back, releasing drake. It bowed its head, fell to its stomach, and lay there for a few moments with its eyes tightly shut.

It finally slowly opened its eyes and got to its feet. It looked at me and stood still. The air seemed to ripple. Something was happening to the wolf. It was…transforming? Before me now stood Seth.

_What the hell?_

"Charlotte? Charlotte?"

I couldn't speak. Seth. Seth? It couldn't be. How was this possible? He crouched before me. His warm hand brushed wetness from my eyes. When had I started crying? I flinched from his touch. His hand dropped immediately to his side.

"Charlotte? Please say something."

My mouth opened and closed repeatedly. What could I say? What was I supposed to say? I looked over him then quickly averted my eyes. "You're naked."

He looked relieved to hear my voice, but then he froze. "Oh sorry."

He disappeared from me and was back within a second. He had shorts on now. No shirt. He handed me my dress. I stared at it confused. He sighed and leaned to pull it over my head.

"Do you want me to dress you?"

I didn't answer. I was still in too much shock to move. He leaned me into him and pulled the dress down.

He started to pull back. "No. Don't." I willed my arms to wrap around him. He smelled as he always did, woody and musky. I inhaled deeply and sighed.

I felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Are you okay?"

I nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it? About the wolf thing?"

I stiffened and quickly shook my head. "I think─I think I want to sleep." I didn't realize until now how tired I was even though it was a little after noon.

"Okay." I held him tighter. "I'm going to take you home."

I only nodded.

I felt myself being lifted. He was suddenly running. Then we were at my house. He ran upstairs and placed me gently on my bed.

"Seth?"

He pulled back to look me in the eyes. "Yes?"

"Will you stay with me? Please?"

"Sure." He curled up on my bed with me. I curled up to him still holding onto him. I buried my face into his exposed chest. His arms wrapped around me.

I inhaled again. "Thank you."

I fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

* * *

><p>AN: I knoow it's been a while since I've uploaded. Sorry, I've been sick for over a week. Hopefully this and the other chapters that I upload today and tomorrow will make up for it. Happy Christmas Eve!


	10. Aftershock

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>I woke a few hours later feeling groggy and still tired…and sweating? Why was I sweating? I looked around and noticed that Seth was with me. Oh, that must be why. He is extremely warm… I tried to roll out from under his arms that were draped over me, but he only tightened his hold, drawing me closer. He snored lightly in my ear. I giggled.<p>

He was so adorably peaceful in his sleep. I didn't want to wake him so I lay there in the heat of his arms.

"Charlotte..."

Did someone call my name?

"Charlotte…" It was Seth. He was talking in his sleep, like me… "Mine….my imprint….forever…."

What was he talking about?

He was smiling slightly before he rolled over, knocking me off the bed.

"Ow!" I jumped up. He was now sprawled on my bed. I decided to leave him and head downstairs for breakfast. _He'll wake up soon enough_, I thought.

After a few minutes, after I had gotten myself a bowl of cereal, I heard someone coming down the stairs.

"Charlotte?"

"In here," I said without turning. He sat across from me. "Good afternoon!" I said cheerfully. "I see that your nap was good."

In the few weeks that I hadn't seen him, I was glad he showed up...especially when he did earlier. I was beginning to debate with myself about calling him just to hear his voice and to know that he was okay.

"Yeah." He paused. "Was that you who fell? I remember rolling over and hearing someone hitting the floor."

I nodded. "Yeah, that was me. You pushed me off."

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. You could have woken me up. I would have moved to the couch."

"It's okay. You looked peaceful. I didn't want to disturb you."

An awkward silence floated around us.

"So…," Seth said looking around the kitchen.

"So…," I said matching his tone.

I knew what was about to come next. He was going to say something about what happened earlier. I still wasn't sure exactly what I had seen. It still felt like a dream to me, but I knew it wasn't. I was being stubborn by refusing to think it was real. I briefly wondered why I wasn't bothered that he could morph into another creature—a giant wolf at the least.

Before he could say anything, I cut him off. "Listen… I know what you're going to say, but I'd prefer it if you'd just let it go for a while." I saw that he was about to cut in so I continued on in a rush. "I'm still processing all the details and it'll take a while before I will be able to fully comprehend all of it. So, I guess, I'm trying to ask if you could lay off the topic for the time being."

He blinked several times then looked away, staring out the window. I waited patiently for him to answer. A few moments went by. I noticed the clock on the stove read 6:43. It was almost time for dinner.

He suddenly stiffened and looked at me "Sure, okay, that's fine." He stood abruptly. "Do you have your keys?"

I nodded. "Yeah, they're upstairs on my desk. Why do you—hey wait! Where are you going?" He had dashed up the stairs and down again within a few seconds. He threw a bundle of clothes at me.

"Change quickly."

"Wait a minute. What's going on?"

"No time to explain. Can you just change?"

He waited in the hall as I changed in the kitchen. He grabbed my arm and pulled me outside.

"Get in."

"Where are we going?" I asked as I slid into the passenger's side of my car. He didn't answer me. He started the car and quickly pulled out. "Seth?" His eyes were set on the road, my car speeding away. "Seth? What's wrong?"

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He handed it to me. "Answer it."

I opened the phone slowly. "Hello?"


	11. Dress Up Doll

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>"Seth! What the hell did you just do? I can't see anything anymore! We heard howling, and Jake just went out to check it out! Then I see your imprint coming here, and then everything else is blank. Jake's thoughts are too confused for Edward to understand what's happening, so that only leaves you. What the hell is happening Seth?"<p>

I completely was confused. _What the hell was she talking about?_

"Um…I'm sorry but this isn't Seth. Would you like to speak to him?"

There was silence on the other end.

"No, I'm sure he can hear me just fine. Right Seth?"

He chuckled at the girl's outburst. "Well hello, Alice. My day is going fine, thanks for asking. How's yours?"

"This is no time to joke Seth!"

"Where's Jasper?" Seth asked. "I don't want him to be in pain or anything when we get there."

"He left with Edward, Bella, and Renesmee."

"Fine."

"So she's coming here...now?"

Seth glanced at me. "Yeah. A minute tops."

"We'll be ready by then." The line went dead.

I shut the phone and placed it in his open palm. "Where exactly are we going?"

"To a friend of mines house. You'll be safe there."

"Safe from what?"

He smiled gently. "You said you didn't want to talk about the wolf issues. It falls into the same category."

"I'm being protected from a wolf?"

He frowned. "No, it's just the opposite."

What was the opposite of a wolf? Nothing I knew could fight off one...maybe a gun. But who would dare get close enough to shoot a wolf as big as that?

He must have noticed my hesitation because he quickly added, "It's nothing that we can't handle." He patted my hand gently. "You don't have to worry about anything. I'll be there with you, always."

Why did the last thing he say cause a wave of happiness to wash over me?

He turned off onto a little road that I didn't notice. Trees were speeding pass us in a green blur. I noticed the speedometer.

"Uh, don't you think you need to slow down just a bit? This road is very winding."

"We'll be fine if we crash. Or at least I will."

"What?"

"Relax relax. I'm just kidding. I won't crash us." We pulled up in front of a large white house. "Here we are." Seth seemed to relax. But only a little.

"Where's here?" I asked as I climbed out of the car and followed Seth to the front door. I have never seen a house like this one at all. It was almost like a large Victorian house, only slightly smaller. The yard that wrapped around was wide and showed plenty of room.

The front door opened before we had a chance to knock.

"Seth!" A petite, pale-skinned female burst from the open doorway and pulled Seth inside, leaving me to walk in alone. I noticed the back wall was entirely made of glass. The other walls were painted many shades of white. A grand piano sat off to the side.

Several pairs of eyes simultaneously looked at me and stared. I automatically shrunk back.

Something was wrong. These people had and aura of danger floating around them. My instincts told me that they weren't human and to run, but a large man stepped behind me, closing the door, my only escape. He smiled, but it looked more like a sneer. His teeth looked sharp... I flinched away from him and stood behind Seth. Everyone was still staring, making me self-conscious. I shifted uneasily and took another step behind Seth. A blonde-haired woman that sat on the arm of the sofa next to the large man smiled. I flinched again.

"Rose...," a voice called. "Stop, you're scaring her." A tall, blonde-haired, pale-skinned male was descending the stairs. He was beautiful. He came to stand beside Seth and the petite girl. His eyes were golden. I noticed that all the others had the same eyes.

The blonde-haired woman, called Rose, smiled again directly at me. "It's not my fault, Carlisle. Her instincts tell her we're dangerous. She should listen to them. Or she'll regret the day she was born."

A deep growl came from Seth's throat. The petite girl shook her head and grabbed his arm. I felt a wave of jealously rush over me. Rose snickered.

"Aw, now Rose. Be nice. She's only human," said the large man beside her.

"Humph." Rose crossed her arms and turned towards the window.

"Don't mind her," said the large male. "She's just a little cranky." She smacked him on the arm causing a rock-hitting-rock sound. He didn't acknowledge her.

"She'll feel better later when the sun goes down...when we have time to ourselves...and we have our 'playtime'." This time he was knocked to the floor by her punch, shaking the whole house.

"Keep this up and you won't have 'playtime' for a week."

His silent laughter shook the floor beneath my feet. "Relax," he told her. "No harm was intended."

"Rosalie. Emmett." A sweet voice now joined us. It was another female. She was pale-skinned and golden-eyed like the rest. Her hair was the color of caramel, and it flowed gracefully around her. "We have a guest. Behave." They smiled apologetically.

She turned to me, giving a motherly smile. "I'm sorry about those two. Don't pay any attention to them. I'm Esme."

She came forward and grasped my hand. It was cold. I tried not to flinch but she noticed anyway. "Sorry. I know I can be a bit cold at times."

I smiled back at her. "I'm Charlotte."

She nodded. "Seth has told us so much about you. That's all Edward hears when he's around."

I turned to Seth with an upraised eyebrow. He merely shrugged.

"It's not his fault, dear. Edward can't help but to hear other people's thoughts." I must have looked confused. She added, "Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself. Don't worry about it now. It'll all be explained later."

Carlisle stepped forward again and placed a hand on Esme's shoulder. "For now, we want you to relax. If you need anything just tell us. Or Seth. He knows where mostly everything is." Carlisle and Esme quickly left, retreating up the stairs.

Rose─Rosalie─and Emmett left shortly after, walking out the back glass wall and disappearing into the forest. That only left the petite girl, Seth, and I.

"Alice? Where's Jake?"

Ah, so this was Alice. The one who had been yelling on the phone. I could now take a closer look at her. She was petite and pixie-like with short, spiky black hair. Her skin was pale causing her golden eyes to become more vivid. She was a few inches shorter than I was. She was the most friendly-looking person I had seen yet.

"Seth, Seth, Seth." She shook her head. Her voice was high-pitched and flowing. "You ought to know as well I do that he's with Renesmee," she looked at me with a twinkle in her eyes, "as you are with Charlotte." She cocked head to the side. "Does she know yet? Have you told her?"

Seth shook his head. "Not yet. Maybe in a while I will. When all the others come back. That way everything will be explained at the same time."

"What do you have to tell me? I'm confused."

They continued as if I hadn't spoken.

"You don't think it will be too much for her?"

"No. I think she'll be fine."

She nodded then turned to me. "I'm Alice," she said.

"Charlotte."

Her face lit up. "So...what do you like to do in your spare time?"

Seth and I settled on the couch. Alice stood in front of us.

"I love to read."

She frowned a little. "Do you like shopping?"

"Alice," Seth warned.

She ignored him.

"Well... I do but not in the overly excited way that most girls are."

"I bet I could change your mind." She grabbed my arm and pulled me to the stairs, nearly yanking my arm out of its socket. "Wait until you see my closet. It will blow your mind away."

I heard Seth following close behind. We reached a room and stopped. She hesitated before opening the door and slamming it in Seth's face.

"Alice!"

She giggled. "Sorry Seth. No peeking yet. I'm giving her a makeover."

"But Alice, I─"

"You'll thank me later, Seth. Trust me. Besides, it will make the time go by faster."

I heard him grumble and head back down the stairs.

She turned to me with a smile. "Sorry. I know you want to see him, but I wanted to give you a makeover first. I hope that's okay." Her expression looked so sad that all I could do was agree with her.

"It's okay, I guess."

"Thanks. Now you have to see the closet. I think you'll like it very much." She opened a double, frosted-glass door.

I took a step inside as she turned on the lights.

"Oh. Wow." The closet was bigger than the room it was attached to! How could as this stuff fit in here? Row after row after row was piled, stuffed, and overflowed with clothes. "How do you keep up with all this?"

She giggled. "I remember what I have. They are assorted by color, then by material." The closet did have a rainbow theme to it with every color in between. "So, what do you want to try on? You are about the same size as me." She gave me a once over. "Maybe a little taller than me. But that will make everything better."

She walked around me and disappeared into the clothing. She threw something out at me. "Here. This will look excellent." In my hands were a black pleated mini skirt and a green strapless shirt. "Go put it on." She pointed to a little opening. Was that a changing room? "And this too." She handed me a strapless bra and pushed me towards the opening, drawing a curtain closed.

I undressed and dressed slowly. I emerged and found her sitting before a mirror with a spinning chair.

She gasped when she saw me. "I love it!" She squealed. "But it is missing something." She dashed back into the clothing and out again. She had a black belt that she fastened to my waist and a short-sleeved jean jacket. "There. Much better. Now for your makeup and hair." She pushed me down into the chair and began to work.

"I like your closet. It's very...um big."

She laughed. "Thanks. So you do like shopping and everything right?"

"If you can find all the things you have that I like...then yes. I do. You have a different sense of style than I have. I think we can make it work though."

She squealed again. "You don't know how happy this makes me." She gave me a hug.

After two hours of sitting while she constantly styled my hair and makeup, I was finally allowed to see my outcome.

"Oh, wow."

"Is that a good thing? Please tell me you mean that is a good thing?"

I nodded slowly. "I—I like it. Thanks."

She grinned widely. "Now for shoes."

I watched her hunt for them. They were green and black plaid flats, the exact colors of my outfit.

"Oh," I gasped. She smiled at my expression.

"Now, how about we show Seth what you look like."

We headed downstairs where Seth was waiting. He gasped when he saw me. I blushed.

"And why did you dress her up, Alice?" he asked as he pulled me to the couch.

Alice shrugged. "I was bored." She dropped down in a chair across from us. "I miss Jasper. It's no fun with him gone." She closed her eyes.

After a few minutes of silence passed without her saying anything, I asked Seth "Is she sleep?"

He shook his head and gestured for me to follow him outside. We walked about a hundred yards into the forest before he stopped.

"Why so far out?"

"Privacy. She could still hear us. I bet she can still hear us now."

"What do you mean? No one can hear this far out, can they?"

"Oh, I keep forgetting that you don't know anything yet." He smiled apologetically at me. "We still have to wait for the others."

I nodded. That's all I could do sense that I had no idea who he was talking about.

He sat under a tree and patted the ground beside him. "Come sit with me." I sat and he wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes.

"There's something I want to ask you," I started.

"Hmmm?"

"When Drake tried to...you know...rape me," I felt him shudder, "you broke his leg and then he passed out. Did you leave him there?"

He took a deep breath. "No, I called Carlisle after you went to sleep and he took care of him."

"Carlisle?"

"He's a doctor."

"Oh." I paused. "So where is Drake now?" He pulled back to stare at me. "I just want to know that he's okay."

His face clouded over then he looked away, out into the trees. I didn't think he was going to answer but he finally said, "He's at the hospital. Carlisle and other doctors are looking after him. He'll be fine."

He was still avoiding my gaze. I touched his cheek. "Seth? What's wrong?"

He sighed. "Nothing."

I turned so I could see his face directly. "Something is bothering you. Tell me. Please."

His eyes softened. "I was just wondering why you were dating him."

I blinked several times. This caught me off guard. I shrugged. "He wasn't always such an asshole." Seth's eyes widened by my language. I held up a finger, willing him to listen before he interrupted. "When we first started dating, he was sweet and shy. He would do anything for me. He was kind and caring and no matter what we did, we were happy. Then he started to be more open towards people. I guess it was because he had started playing football. He was good. Every girl in our school would follow him around and try to flirt with him. I, naturally, became jealous, but then got over it as he paid them no attention."

I lowered my eyes and picked at the edges of my skirt. "But then more and more weeks passed and I frequently caught him flirting with the other girls. I planned to break up with him, but we were moving and everything got held up. Half of me wanted to break up with him but my other half didn't. I kept putting it off. I was so stressed, and I didn't want to have to d-deal with him when everything w-was changing so f-fast." I hadn't realized I had started crying until he started wiping away the tears.

I blinked up at him in surprise. "S-sorry," I said, hiccupping, "I guess I w-was a little too caught up in that mess."

He rubbed my back soothingly. "It's fine." He pulled me closer until I was leaning into his chest; my arms were forced to fold between us.

After I was done hiccupping and had calmed down a little, he pulled back. I felt his warm finger under my chin, bringing my head up, forcing me to look at him.

"Better?" he asked. I nodded while he studied me carefully.

"Really, I'm fine."

He looked up at the sky. I looked too. It was becoming darker. I could see little stars starting to shine. "We better get back before they come looking for us."

I grasped his arm before he stood. "Wait," I said softly, "Can we just stay here for a little longer? I don't feel like going back just yet."

"Sure, I guess." He sat back down. I leaned my head into his shoulder.

I soon found that I was dosing off into sleep. You would have thought that from all the time I had already slept that I wouldn't be tried anymore but truthfully, I was more tired now than anything.

After a few seconds, he scooped me up in his arms. I was going to complain but decided against it. I was too tired to walk anywhere. I was drifting in and out of sleep while he walked. I felt him stop shortly, probably to open a door.

"Oh my, the poor dear is all worn out." It sounded like it was Esme. "There's an extra bedroom upstairs. Why don't you let her sleep there? Alice will show you."

He continued walking.

"Here you go Seth," Alice said.

I sank into something soft and plushy. I rolled over onto my side, slowly opening my eyes. Seth was staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said.

I was too tired to ask again and argue. I closed my eyes again and felt warm arms wrap around me. He pulled me into his lap. I buried my face into his chest and drifted off into sleep.


	12. Meeting the Cullens

{{Seth's POV}}

* * *

><p>She was sleeping soundly as I cradled her. Her face was buried into my chest, her breathing tickling me. I heard Alice and Esme downstairs talking quietly amongst themselves. Even with my sensitive hearing, I couldn't make out what they were saying.<p>

"Seth..." Charlotte? She twisted in my arms then relaxed again. Her dad did say she talked in her sleep sometimes... "Seth," she sighed. I smiled to myself. After listening to her steady breathing for a few minutes longer, I decided to join Alice and Esme. I placed Charlotte gently on the bed and walked quietly to the door.

"Seth?" she called. This time I knew she wasn't talking in her sleep. I turned back. Her eyes were slightly open.

"It's okay. I'll be back in a little while. Go back to sleep," I replied.

She closed her eyes again and was instantly sleep. She looked so peaceful. This was probably the only peacefulness she'd get before the others came back. I sighed as I headed down the stairs.

Alice was curled up on the end of the sofa, her eyes closed. "So she fell asleep? She'll need it before the others come back," she said.

"Which is when?"

Her brow furrowed as she concentrated. "About two. Maybe a little after."

I looked at the clock. It was almost ten. It would be a few hours until they returned. "I'm going out for a while."

Alice stayed silent.

I paused at the edge of the woods listening to Charlotte's breathing before I phased and ran into the forest.

_Seth! Nice to hear you, buddy._ Quil.

_Seth. So how's it going? Have you told her yet?_ Embry.

_No, not yet. We're waiting until the others get back. That way everything will be explained all at the same time._

_Right._

_So what have you guys been up to?_

_Patrolling_, they said in unison.

Sam had given me a few days off because of Charlotte. I was grateful for it.

_Lucky_, thought Embry.

_Humph. Sam never let me get off with Claire…_

_Aw, come on now guys. You know Sam will probably make me come back as soon as she knows everything. It'll only be about a day more._

_Whatever._

_Speaking of imprints, I have to go and check on Claire_, Quil thought before he faded out.

_You guys are so protective of them. Why can't you just let them live?_

I laughed. _You'll figure it out when you have your own imprint. You'll be just as protective of her as we are._

_Yeah, I'll bet._

I let him wander around in his own thoughts and faced mine.

Soon the others would be back. I'd have to go wake up Charlotte. I wondered if she would understand any of this with her being halfway asleep. She'd have to understand something. She already knew I was a wolf... I shook that out of my head. I was getting sleepy. I lay down in a patch of grass and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

><p>{{Seth's POV}}<p>

I woke a few hours later to the sound of something buzzing. It was my phone. I phased back to human form.

"Hello?"

"Seth! They're coming."

"Oh…Alice." I yawned. "Um, in about how long?"

"Three minutes tops."

"Okay. I'm coming." I hung up and ran back to the Cullen's house. I ran straight upstairs to wake Charlotte.

I nudged her shoulder. "Charlotte?"

She groaned. "Sleepy."

"Come on, you have to get up. The others are coming."

She opened an eye to look at me. "Can't it wait 'til morning?" Her voice was thick with sleep.

I shook my head. "Sorry. The sooner you know about this the better. And plus, I still have to take you home."

She yawned and rolled to get out of bed. "Ugh. I'm still wearing Alice's stuff."

"I'm sure she won't mind." I went to the door and gestured for her to follow.

She stretched out her arms. "Carry me?" I scooped her up and headed downstairs. I placed her on her feet. She wobbled before falling. I caught her before she hit the floor and held her up. "Sorry," she said. "I guess I'm still sleep."

I laughed. Alice appeared next to us.

"Where's Rosalie and Emmett?" I asked her.

She snickered. "They'll be here later. They're having their 'playtime'."

A light snore came from Charlotte. She had fallen asleep against my shoulder. I poked her gently. I could hear their light footsteps in the distance getting closer.

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

This was too early─or late or whatever it was─to be up and talking about anything. I rubbed my eyes. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep some more. However, they wouldn't let me.

I looked back and forth between Alice and Seth. No one else was here. I'm sure Carlisle and Esme were somewhere upstairs. I had no idea where Rosalie and Emmett had gone. Alice said they'd be here later. The room was silently and motionless for a while. The only sounds were breathing. A few moments passed. Alice and Seth's heads both snapped up to look out the window.

"They're coming," Alice sang.

Esme and Carlisle were suddenly standing beside us. Seth's arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me slightly closer.

"Oh, Seth. We're not going to harm her," Alice said.

He smiled gently at her. "I know." However, his arms tightened the, his chin resting on my head. I leaned against him as four people and a wolf ran out of the forest.

They emerged one by one. First, a tall, muscular male who ran straight to Alice, picked her up, and twirled her around. She squealed and kissed him. Second, was a couple. A tall, lanky boy with bronze hair and a young brown haired woman. They walked hand in hand. Last to come forth was a black wolf. On its back was a child who looked about seven or eight. She had the same bronze colored hair that the other male did and it was curly.

My first thought was to take her from the wolf. She looked so young and fragile. The wolf threw in the air while she giggled. I took a hesitate step forward, but Seth held me back.

"It's okay. She's not going to get hurt." I looked back at him puzzled. "Trust me." Sure enough, she was unharmed. I let out a sigh of relief. She was now on Jake's shoulders.

"The wolf...it's...it's gone."

Seth chuckled. "Jake's a wolf too."

I frowned. There was so much I was going to have to learn.

They stood a few feet I front of us. Every one of them was looking at me. I shifted from foot to foot uneasily.

"Um. Hi."

No one moved. Why do they keep looking at me? It's like I'm being examined under a microscope. The bronze-haired male laughed. What's so funny? Did I miss something? I looked around but nothing seemed to have changed. He continued to laugh. He's very weird. Why is he the only one laughing? I wonder if he has a disorder or something. He laughed harder.

The female that held his hand looked from him to me. "Uh...sorry to interrupt your laughing, Edward, but do you mind telling us what's funny?" Her voice was bell-like. So she wasn't human either...

He motioned to me. "Charlotte is."

How did he know my name?

He looked at me. "Sorry. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"I─uh─"

"Guys! You're scaring her!" Alice rushed to my side. "Maybe we need to take this one step at a time." I let out a sigh. At least someone was helping the tension calm down. Alice lead me to the couch and sat me down. She sat on my left and Seth on my right. His arms didn't move from around me. "So let's start from what she knows." She looked at me. "What exactly do you know?"

Now all the attention was drawn back to me. I hated having people stare at me. It made me self-conscious. "Uh, well I know Seth's a wolf...I think. And Jake's one too?" She nodded. "And you guys aren't human."

Seems like a normal sane person would have gone crazy and thought they were going nuts. Maybe something was wrong with me. After all, I hardly knew anything, and I felt somewhat safe around them all. Safe apart from the one that was staring at me. And the one that was laughing earlier. And Rosalie. I wondered if they were naturally like that normally.

The one named Edward laughed again.

What the hell is wrong with him? The other person that hugged Alice was still staring at me. He looked from me to Edward then to Seth, Alice, and back again.

"I'm sorry to ask," I whispered to Alice, "but what's wrong with him. Edward is it?"

"You don't have to whisper. We can all hear you."

Rosalie was coming inside from the sliding glass doors. Emmett followed her. How could she have heard me from way over here?

"We have superb hearing." It was Edward's turn to answer.

Superb hearing? Wait, that meant he heard me when I asked Alice what was wrong with him. Oops. I felt blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Don't worry. I don't take it personally."

"Take what personally?"

"That you thought I was a bit crazy for laughing. I wasn't laughing at you necessarily, just your thoughts."

"Oh okay. Wait, what do you mean you were laughing at my thoughts?"

"Edward can read minds." I looked to the girl that was standing beside him. "Oh sorry, I'm Bella." She stuck out her hand to me. I shook it.

"Read minds?"

She nodded.

Mind reader... I'd have to remember this one. _Sorry, I just thought you were strange._

He smiled. So he could read minds. Hmmm.

"So you know that now. Who's next to volunteer? Let's get all the vampire stuff out of the way first," Alice said.

Where my ears deceiving me? Did she just say vampire stuff?

I saw Edward stiffen. "I believe she did," he said.

So that meant…they really weren't human…

"That is correct."

I looked at Edward.

_Impossible_, I thought.

"Seth's a wolf, and you think us," he gestured to the people that were surrounding him, "cannot not be vampires?"

"I─I didn't say that."

"It was implied to your thoughts."

That can't be true, can it? Vampires don't exist. But then again...Seth and Jacob were wolves, as Edward did point out. Maybe everything fairytale was real.

"I don't think I understand."

"Vampires," Rosalie said, "as in blood drinking people. Our kind kills fragile humans like you. How else do you expect us to get blood?"

"Rose! We are not like that." Esme exclaimed. She looked at me. "Sorry, just excuse her."

I was frozen in place. Vampires? I couldn't get this wrapped around my head.

Alice's cold fingers brushed my cheek. I flinched away from her.

"Seems like you'll need some time to get used to this," she whispered as she pulled her hand away.

A clock in the background softly struck three.

"We better go," Seth said getting to his feet and pulling me with him. "I don't want her father worried about her."

"I thought he knew everything." I looked at Bella.

"Everything about what?"

She looked sadly at me. "Maybe Seth ought to explain the rest." She smiled and left. She moved so fast I didn't notice she was gone until she wasn't there anymore.

"That's one of the things we have," Edward said. "Incredible speed." He disappeared next.

"I should take her home too." Jacob nodded to the girl who was cradled in his lap. He nodded at Seth. "You don't have to patrol tonight. I'll tell Sam."

"Thanks." Jacob left.

"That's one mutt out," Rosalie muttered. She looked at Seth. "Your turn."

"Rosalie! What has gotten into you? You're being completely rude." Esme looked furious. She actually scared me.

Rosalie flipped her hair. "Maybe it's the _vampire_ in me." She gave me a frightening smile then grabbed Emmett's arm and headed upstairs. Their figures blurred as they passed.

The only people left were Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Seth, me, and the male that stood next to Alice with his arms draped over her shoulder. He smiled shyly at me. His pointed teeth made me cringe into Seth. A wave of calmness washed over me.

"Jasper." Alice tugged on his arm. He kissed her head softly. She sighed.

"I'll explain it to her," Seth said.

I looked at Alice. "Can we do this another time? I want to be kind of more aware and awake to understand most of this."

She nodded. "Come back anytime."

"Thanks."

Seth pulled me towards the door. "See you guys later."

"It was nice meeting all of you." As I turned to see their reactions, no one was there. "Where did they all go?"

"Sorry, Charlotte, but I think they have some other important things to do." I could have sworn I heard snickering from somewhere in the house. We headed back to my car and drove to my house.

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

We drove silently to my house. I could see that the living room lights were on. My dad was standing in the doorway.

"I don't know why he's still up."

Seth came around to my side and helped me out. I was very tired and halfway sleep. My dad stopped us. I spoke before he did.

"Just give me some time to get my thoughts collected. I'm so confused right now." I knew he knew about everything and wanted to know how things turned out. He nodded and let me pass. I was still holding onto Seth's hand and was jerked to a stop when he didn't move.

"I want to talk to Seth for a minute." I reluctantly released his hand and headed inside. They followed.

I walked up the stairs and paused at the top to listen. I hide myself between the rails so that I wouldn't be seen.

"So...," my father started.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault that we're here so late," Seth said hastily.

I heard my father laugh. "It's okay. I understand. Does she know everything now?"

"No, not yet. I'm planning to tell her but I don't know when. I tried bringing it up this morning, but she stopped me."

I heard my dad sigh. "Well I think you have plenty of time. School doesn't start for a few more weeks. Everything should be sorted out by then."

"Yeah I know. And she might just be sleeping all day tomorrow with being out all night. I'm guessing it was a long day, with Drake and finding out everything is not what it seems." Seth's voice trailed off.

"You'll have time I promise." I heard my dad walk away towards the kitchen. I could see Seth's shadow on the wall coming up the stairs. I quickly hurried to my room and in the bathroom door as he entered.

"You're not very good at sneaking around. I can hear just as good as the others."

I smiled sheepishly realizing that I had been caught.

"So I guess you know very well what's happening then."

"Yeah, kind of for the most part."

He nodded. "You'll find out everything. Goodnight. I'll see you when you're awake again." He closed the door as he left.

I climbed into bed without bothering to take off the clothes Alice had given me. I was too tried to care now. I feel asleep quickly and promised myself that I would wake up with enough time to talk with Seth.

* * *

><p>AN: I'm sorry for the delayed updates. This holiday was pretty stressful... But on the good side, updates should start picking up soon as I start school again tomorrow. Boredom results in editing and more creative writing ideas. :D

So anyways, I hope you guys had a great holiday! and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope you guys make it a good one! :P


	13. Confusion

{{ Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>Someone was shaking me. I didn't want to wake up. I was still sleepy. I pulled the covers over my head.<p>

"You are so lazy. You've slept more than half the day away," Dad complained.

I rolled over to stare at him. "Too bad. Still tried."

"Do you plan on keeping Seth waiting? He's been here for hours waiting for you to get up."

"He'll understand," I muttered.

"Charlotte Alexandria Duckling, if you do not get up this instant and go down to Seth I will…I will…" He trailed off as he was trying to think of a punishment.

I laughed. "Come on, Dad, can't think of a good threat?"

"I'll show him your baby pictures."

"You call that blackmail?"

"Only if I show him the ones when you were a baby, which means the good and bad ones. You looked so adorable! I'm so glad not that your mother thought to have those taken."

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up, but not because you threatened me."

"If that's the reason then I'm sure you won't mind me showing them to him anyway." He smiled broadly as he left.

"Dad!" I heard him laugh. "Seth! Don't look at them!"

"I'm a little curious as to what you looked like as a baby. I think I'll take my chances of you being mad at me."

I quickly took a shower and got dressed, putting on jeans and a t- shirt. I made a mental note to give Alice back her clothes. I scrubbed all the make-up of my face and headed downstairs. If I was lucky, my dad hadn't found the pictures yet. Not all of the boxes were unpacked even though we had been here for weeks. I hurried downstairs to find them on the couch looking at an album.

"Dad, you really did…"

"Sorry Charlotte." He laughed more as he handed the album to Seth and went to the door. "I'll see you guys later, I've got some business to take care of." I nodded as he left.

"Aw, you are so cute."

I grabbed the album from him and sat on it. "Okay, I think that's enough pictures."

"But I only saw the first few." His face saddened. It was completely worth dying for. I felt my heart sink from the site of him being sad.

I thought about giving it back but decided against it. I shook my head. "S-sorry," I stuttered.

"Fine. I see how it is going to be. I'll just have to ask your father when he gets back. I'm sure he'll let me see more pictures."

"And what makes you so sure that he'll let you?"

He grinned. "Trust me, he will."

"Then I'll just have to hide it so that neither of you can find it."

"I'll find it, one way or another."

"Sure."

He chuckled and looked around. "So what would you like to do for the rest of the day? You slept through most it anyway."

"It's not my fault we were out all night."

"I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay." Silence passed between us, then my stomach growled. "Um, I guess we're eating. You hungry?" I asked.

"A little."

"Then let's have brunch." I took his hand and lead him to the kitchen.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine with me."

"Chocolate chip pancakes it is."

I made the batter and started to cook them on the griddle. "There are plates in the cabinet over there." I pointed to the opposite wall. "And the syrup is in the refrigerator."

I put the entire finished batch of chocolate pancakes onto a bigger plate and set it between us. He piled seven on his plate and drowned it syrup. I watched him eat for a few minutes before he looked up.

"What?"

"Nothing." I started to eat my own pancakes.

"No, really, what is it?"

"It's just that you said a little. I've never seen someone eat as much as you do."

"Aw, thanks. We all eat a lot."

"We?"

"Uh-huh. The rest of the pack as well. The wolves."

My eyes widen. "You mean there are more wolves? More than just you and Jake?"

He nodded. "You'll have to meet them. They're not all that bad. Maybe a little annoying at times, but they're okay."

"Oh."

"They won't hurt you, I promise. They'll like you."

"Okay."

We finished our brunch in silence. Seth polished off the plate and went to the living room. I followed and sat on the couch beside him, folding my legs underneath me.

"I take it that you like my pancakes."

"Yup. The best I've had in ages. I think they're even better than Emily's."

"Who's Emily?"

"Sam's fiancé. You'll meet her too. She's the best cook in the world, but I think you've got her beat on your pancakes."

"Um, thank you, I guess."

He laughed. "So what shall we do know?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"Well, do you want to talk about it now? About all the weird things you have been through in the last day or so."

"Wolves and vampires? Uh, sure, I guess. I'm still in shock that you really are a wolf and the others, the Cullens, are vampires. It just seems so unreal to me. I'm only human."

"Okay. So firstly, we are werewolves not wolves. We protect people, basically our tribe which is on La Push, from vampires."

"Like The Cullens family?"

"Kind of. The Cullens are different vampires. They drink blood from animals, not humans, that's why their eyes are golden. Vampires that drink human blood have red eyes."

"Okay, how do you protect the tribal people?"

"We protect our tribe and other humans too. If a vampire gets to close or we see them as a threat, we kill them."

"Then how can you stand being around the Cullens?"

"Bella. She was a human at first but then she met Edward. They became married and she had Renesmee. Bella had to be changed into a vampire because Edward didn't want to lose her. Giving birth to Renesmee almost killed her. But we thought Renesmee was an immortal child and we saw her as a threat to other people. We were going to kill her but then the Volutri came and everything was chaos and─"

"Wow wow wow. You lost me. What's an immortal child, who is the Volutri, and why was Renesmee a problem?"

He sighed. "This is not going as well as I hoped. There's so much you don't know and so much that is not my story to tell… Werewolves, the pack, immortal children, imprints, vampires, the Volutri, Renesmee. That's only the outline of it all. Then your father has some things to explain and your mother─"

"My mother?"

"That's more of your dad telling you."

"But you know something about her."

"Yes."

"And you're not going to tell me any of it."

"No."

"Then why are you telling me about all this other stuff. If everyone knew about werewolves and vampires then I'm sure I would have heard about it."

"I can tell you because you are my imprint."

"Which is?"

"A werewolf thing."

"So I'm guessing I can't tell anyone about any of this?"

"Only the people who know."

"Like who?"

"Your father, me, the other werewolves, and the Cullens... We are the only ones that know most of what you'll learn."

"Oh." I paused. So many people knew what was happening around me but me. I looked back at Seth. "What's an imprint?"

"It's a soul mate to a werewolf."

"I'm your soul mate?"

"Yes. We can tell our imprints everything. They're like our other half. It's hard for us to lie to them or to be away from them for a length of time. We feel there sadness, their sorrow, their pain. Their happiness, their joy." He paused. "That's one way I was able to find you when Drake was…about to hurt you. I could feel that you were in danger. I'm usually there, watching over you but I wasn't then. I'm sorry. If I had been there, you wouldn't have been in trouble with him to begin with. I could have stopped it from even beginning to happen." He dropped his head. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"Wait, you're blaming yourself for Drake attacking me?"

"If I was watching you as I usually did then─"

I interrupted him. "No stop..." I went to hug him. He pulled me into his lap. "If you had been there then Drake would have—I would not have seen how much a jackass he was becoming. I would still probably be with him. I would have been unhappy and not know the reason."

His arms tightened around me. I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"Can imprints feel their werewolves' emotions?" I asked.

"In a way."

"Then stop beating yourself up. You're making my heart hurt. I don't like to see you sad. It pains me." He was silent. I wanted to hear his voice again. "Tell me more about imprints."

He was quiet for a few moments before he spoke. "We are what our imprints need us to be. A friend, a protector, a lover."

"How do you know a person is your imprint?"

"You have this...feeling. No, that's not right. You…well...it's as if you have found a person that you can cherish with your life. You would do anything for that person." He hugged me closer. "When you first see them, it's like your world falls apart and the only thing that is holding you down is that person. You feel strongly connected to them and very protective. You never want to be alone from them. If you are, it causes you a pain that seems to ripe you apart."

"That's why when you were gone those few days I felt lonely. And that's why I felt the need to go to the clearing all those times. You were there watching me..."

"It hurt me knowing that I couldn't talk or be near you. Every night after I would patrol the boundaries, I would run here just to listen to you sleep. It made me feel better to know that you were safe."

"It wasn't your fault. I should have stepped away. I shouldn't have kissed you back."

"I don't regret it."

I laughed and raised my head. "Okay, so enough of this talk. Let's go do something fun." I stood and pulled him with me. I thought for a few moments.

Seth had walked over to a box that had my name on it. "What's this?"

I bent over the box. "Oh those are my books."

"Why are they down here? Shouldn't you put them in your room?"

"I was going to put them in that room above the stairs, but I don't want to leave them in the book for the rest of their lives."

"Then use a bookshelf."

"I would if I had one. Oh! Why don't we build one? I'm sure my dad has some wood somewhere." I ran out the backdoor. Sure enough, there were long boards leaning against the side of the house.

"You think he'll be using them for something?"

I turned to Seth. "No, I don't think so."

For the next few hours, until it became too dark outside to work anymore, we build bookshelves. We ended up building a total of seven and placed them all in the upper room. They were even painted. I wouldn't have been able to do most of it if Seth wasn't there. We sat on my bedroom floor.

"Now over half of them are empty, and I thought there wouldn't be enough. You know how many books I have?"

"Three gigantic boxes worth. I should know, I carried them up here."

"Thanks for doing that. But that's not even all of them. I have more at our old house. I think Dad was going to get the rest this weekend."

"Nerd," he coughed into his hand then smiled at me.

I hit his arm, which surprisingly hurt my hand a little. "I'm not a nerd, I just love to read."

He laughed. My phone buzzed then his. My dad was calling.

"I have to take this." He stood and left the room. I flipped open my phone.

"Hello?"

"Charlotte? Where's Seth?"

I looked at the door. I could see his shadow on the wall. "He's on the phone."

"Ask him who he is talking to."

"I don't want to interrupt him."

"Charlotte, please, just ask him." His voice sounded impatient.

"Okay, hold on." I poked my head around the corner. Seth had his back turned away from me. "Seth?" He turned to me. "Um, sorry to bother you, but my dad wants to know who you are talking to."

"It's Sam."

"Dad? He said it's Sam."

"Give the phone to him."

I handed the phone out to Seth. "He wants to talk to you."

He took the phone from my hand. "Sam just told me." He turned his back from me and walked a few steps away. He nodded. "I understand. Okay." He placed the phone back in my hand. "I have to go." He ran down the stairs quickly.

"Hey, wait! What's happening?" I followed after him.

"It's nothing important; it's just…uh…werewolf business." He opened the door and ran into my dad.

"Dad." He didn't notice me.

"Oh, Seth," said my dad. "You better hurry."

"I'm just leaving." He disappeared out the door without a backwards glance.

"Dad? What's happening?" He walked passed me into the kitchen. I looked out the door to see a large sandy-colored wolf disappearing into the trees. I closed it and went to the kitchen.

He was hanging up his phone as I walked in. "Dad?" He didn't seem to hear me. "Dad!" I screamed. He looked at me for the first time since he came. "What's happening? Why did Seth have to leave so suddenly?"

"Charlotte, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." He went to his room.

"But Dad─"

"I'm going to bed." He shut his door and I was left standing alone.


	14. New Threats

{{Seth's POV.}}

* * *

><p>I was sitting across Charlotte on her bedroom floor. We had just finished building and painting bookshelves for her upper room.<p>

"Now over half of them are empty, and I thought there wouldn't be enough. You know how many books I have?" Charlotte said.

"Three gigantic boxes worth. I should know, I carried them up here," I said.

"Thanks for doing that. But that's not even all of them. I have more at our old house. I think Dad was going to get the rest this weekend."

"Nerd," I coughed into my hand then smiled at her.

She lightly hit my arm. "I'm not a nerd, I just love to read."

"So says those boxes."

"I'm sorry; I didn't know they were that heavy."

I laughed. "It's fine." I was still surprised at the amount of books she had. Who ever knew a person could read so much…

Her phone sounded then mine.

It was Sam. "I have to take this," I said and left.

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry to call sense you're with Charlotte, but Seth, we have a problem at the reservation." There was a loud growl from the other end of the phone. "Jared, follow Paul! We don't need him to get killed." Another growl faded off into the distance. "We've come across two trails of vampires. I told Mr. Duckling and insisted that you stay with Charlotte in case anything goes wrong, but he said he'll be there in a few minutes to watch her."

"Okay, I'll leave as soon as he gets here."

"There's something else you should know. It's about Charlotte's mother. She's not─"

"Seth?" Charlotte interrupted. I turned to her.

"Um, sorry to bother you, but my dad wants to know who you are talking to."

"It's Sam."

"Dad? He said it's Sam," She spoke into her phone.

"Give the phone to him." I could hear his voice on the other line.

He handed the phone out to me. "He wants to talk to you."

"Okay, well I think he'll explain some of it to you," said Sam then he hung up.

I took the phone from her hand. "Sam just told me," I said into the phone. I turned my back and walked a few steps away.

"Did he tell you about her mother?"

I spoke quickly as not to be overheard but Charlotte. "No, he started to."

"We think the vampires have something to do with Charlotte's mother, Arianna. They keep coming to her place. We can't get too close or they'll attack. However, occasionally the two vampires come out but never Arianna. The pack is patrolling but the two are too fast to keep up with. I think you should stay at La Push for a few days, or at least until things start to quiet down. And the most important thing: don't say a word of this to Charlotte."

"I understand. Okay." I placed the closed phone back in her hand. "I have to go." I darted down the stairs.

"Hey, wait! What's happening?" She followed.

"It's nothing important; it's just…uh…werewolf business." I opened the door and ran into Mr. Duckling.

"Dad," said Charlotte.

"Oh, Seth. You better hurry."

"I'm just leaving." I disappeared out the door without looking back.

"Dad? What's happening?" I could hear Charlotte. She sounded so scared. I wanted to comfort her but I had no time. Even if I could, what would I tell her?

I phased and ran for the boundaries.

_Seth!_ They all screamed my name as I was connected with them.

_I'm coming._

_Seth, be careful_, Sam said to me. _They keep disappearing, like teleporting. We have no idea what they want but it has to be something important. Find Embry and patrol with him._

_Got it._

I quickly found Embry. _Hey, how's it going?_

_Hey, Seth. Nothing's happened. I've just been patrolling._

_Do you know what's going on?_

_Only what Sam has told us. Other than that, not a clue. But don't worry, I'm sure everything will be okay._

_I hope so._

We ran in silence around the boundary that separated La Push from Forks. My mind was wandered. How was it possible that Charlotte didn't know her mother was alive? I was convinced that she knew and just didn't want to talk about it. Shows how much I know about it.

We patrolled for hours without seeing either one of them. We did however catch their scent it ended abruptly when we followed.

_Now they can _teleport_…this just keeps getting better and better. Why can't they just be like most vampires? No abilities. That would make life so much easier._ Embry was complaining.

_It gives us a challenge. I don't want to be bored. I want to fight when they attack_. Paul was enjoying Embry's complaining. _Just suck it up._

Embry groaned but didn't say anything else.

After another two hours without anything. Sam called it quits.

I ran straight for Charlotte's house. I knew she would already be asleep but I went anyway. I stayed on the edge of the forest that faced her wall of windows. I lay down. Her breathing was soft. I quickly fell asleep.


	15. Meeting the Pack

{{Charlotte's POV.}}

* * *

><p>Seth was sitting on the couch when I went downstairs which pulled me up short.<p>

"How did you get in here?"

He turned slightly me. "Your dad gave me a key."

"Figures." I grabbed an apple and sat on the couch.

"Do you know where my dad is?"

"I think he said he had more work to get done."

"He's always leaving and doing work. He never tells me what though." I sighed. "So what should we do today?"

"Would you like to meet the rest of the pack?"

"Sounds fun." I threw my core in the trash and followed Seth out the door. "So where exactly are we going?" I pulled out of the driveway.

"To Emily's. I'm sure that everyone will be there. That's where we end up most of the time." He guided me towards La Push and to Emily's house. He jumped out of my car before I even stopped it. "Hey guys! She's here!" He went inside, leaving me standing awkwardly by myself. I've never been here before so I wasn't sure where to go or what to do.

The little house stood a little away from the edge of a cliff that dropped off into the ocean below. It was wooden with a brick chimney on the far side. Woods surrounded it on all three of the other sides.

"Hey, who are you?" I turned to see two guys, both shirtless, and a girl who was being carried by piggyback by one of them.

"Uh, I'm Charlotte."

"Seth's Charlotte?"

"Uh, sure, I guess." I didn't know what they meant by that.

"Well then that means he has to be nearby. He wouldn't just leave you here by yourself. I'm Embry."

He was tall and slender, but still had muscle and brown eyes and short black hair. He had the same red brown skin as Seth and Jacob. Now that I looked at the other one that was standing beside him, he too also had the same color skin.

"This is Jared and Kim."

They both nodded. Jared loomed the same as Embry, give or take a few inches in height. Kim had long black hair and the same color of skin. _Must be a tribal thing_, I thought.

"Hi," I said.

"Well there's no use in standing out here alone. Come in."

The inside was beautiful. It felt cozy and also like home. I felt welcomed the moment I set foot inside. Pictures were everywhere. There were many wedding pictures.

"Hey, Seth! You left someone outside!" Embry disappeared down a hallway that looked like it leads to a kitchen. Jared and Kim stayed outside.

I sat on the couch that circled the living room. Warm arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"Sorry," Seth said.

"It's okay."

"I want you to meet the others."

"Okay." I was nervous, but I just couldn't sit here and be rude. I held onto Seth's hand as I followed behind him.

"Ah, so that's Charlotte," someone said as we rounded the kitchen corner.

"That's Paul and Rachel, who is also Jacob's older sister, Brady, Collin, Quil, the little one is Claire, Sam, Emily, and you've already met Embry and Jacob." He pointed to each one.

"Hi," I said shyly.

"So, I hear that you can out cook me with chocolate chip pancakes," Emily said.

"Yeah. That's what Seth says."

"Well you can't have one person's opinion," said Embry.

"Exactly, we need to settle this right now." Jacob smiled widely.

"You just want to do this because you are hungry," Paul accused.

"Well, it is time for breakfast." Everyone immediately agreed.

Emily and I set to cooking while the rest went outside. "How do you like the new place? Everything going okay?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine."

"Seth treating you well?"

"Yes. He's been a good friend."

"You still don't know much about this werewolf stuff, do you?"

I shook my head. "No, not exactly."

"You haven't noticed."

"Noticed what?"

She turned fully to face me. "This. My scars." I gasped. Long gashes stretched down the right side of her face; one ran the length of her arm. "Sam lost it one day and I was standing too close."

"So he ran knives across your skin?" I've heard of people losing it to extremes, but this was far worse.

She laughed. "No. Nothing like that. He lost his temper and phased." I was confused and I was more than sure that it showed. "Werewolves phase when they get too angry. They explode I guess you could say. He's still upset about it even though he's already forgiven."

"Oh." Well that did make it better...a little.

"I'm going to have to have a talk with that boy. He's not telling you anything." She laughed again and we finished cooking the mounds of pancakes.

"Don't you think this is a lot of food?" I stared at the five plates that were stacked high on the table.

"Nonsense. I'm not making eggs and bacon this morning so they'll just have to settle for this." She put the bottles of syrup and cans of whip cream on the table. "Trust me, they'll eat it. You've seen Seth eat I bet." I nodded. "Then we'll have no problem with this much." She opened the little window that was over the sink. "Alright, come eat." Seconds later, they were seated. Most were standing. I stood between Emily and Seth.

After all the pancakes were gone, they voted. Surprisingly, I won. "Well, I guess that's your specialty." I blushed.

The little girl named Claire came up to me. She waved then grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. I could hear them laughing behind us.

"Seems like Claire took a liking to Charlotte."

She pulled me to the back of the house that faced the ocean were she sat herself down. "Sit with me please." We sat there for about twenty minutes. Everything was peaceful. Claire fell asleep against my side.

"Charlotte?"

"Around back."

"We might need to be leaving."

"Why?" Seth pulled me to my feet and cradled Claire against him.

"Someone's coming and I don't think they'll take a liking to you."

"Okay, I guess. Who is it?"

"My sister. It's not that she won't like you. She's doesn't like very many people to be exact. She's just naturally upset. It would be better if we left."

I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by someone else.

"Oh, little brother, that's not entirely true. I only like people that I have to like." We turned to see a tall girl striding towards us. Same skin color, same long black hair as the other girls I've seen.

"Hey Leah."


	16. Trust

{{Seth's POV.}}

* * *

><p>Leah stood a few feet away from us. I had hoped to get Charlotte away from here before she came. Leah was already mad that another person had imprinted and still she hadn't. I didn't want her to take it out on Charlotte.<p>

"Seth? Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?" Her sweet innocent looking smile didn't fool me.

"Leah, Charlotte. Charlotte, Leah. You've met, now we have to go." I pulled Charlotte behind me as I passed quickly by Leah.

"You're so rude Seth." She grabbed Charlotte's other arm forcing us to stop. "You can't leave when we just meet. That's mean, and you're hurt my feelings."

"I'll do more than hurt your feeling if you don't let go of her," I threatened.

"Calm down. So protective." I pulled Charlotte behind me. "See, you guys around." She waved over her shoulder and went inside. I stood there staring after her.

"Seth?" Charlotte touched my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Be careful around Leah. She's not the friendliest person. I don't think she'll hurt you intentionally, but it's better to be on the safe side." I drove back to her house in silence.

"What are we going to do for the rest of the day?" she asked. It was almost noon.

I shrugged. I didn't want to stay at Emily's with Leah around. I didn't want to risk starting the same thing with Leah complaining about imprints. We all heard it before, and I was more than sure that Charlotte didn't want to hear it. I sat on the couch, and she sat in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm bored," she sighed as she leaned into me and closed her eyes. "Tell me about your life before I came."

"I was born and raised in La Push, my father had a heart attack and died when he found out Leah and were werewolves, I've killed vampires, found my imprint, and here we are."

"I'm sorry about your father."

"It's fine."

She frowned. "There has to be more to your life than that."

I shrugged again. "My life has been pretty boring until you came along."

"So, I take it that you enjoy spending time with me."

"I love spending time with you. It never gets boring." I leaned down and kissed her. She didn't pull back this time. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. After a few moments I pulled away. She blushed and looked down.

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV.}}<p>

"Are you staying? I'm just about to make lunch. My dad probably won't be home for awhile."

"Sounds go to me. What are you making?"

I searched through the kitchen. "Uh...I guess lasagna. I'll have to remind Dad to go get some more food."

He settled at the table as I prepared lunch. About thirty minutes later Dad walked in.

"Hey kids." We both nodded. "Uh, Seth, Sam wants to see you."

Seth groaned and disappeared.

"Where is he going?" I stared out the window.

"He's taking care of some business. Don't worry about it." He grabbed a plateful of lasagna and sat at the table. He didn't say anything else.

"Why is it when Drake came over you were always on edge? Now that Seth is always here, you don't bat an eye?"

"Because I trust Seth more."

"But we've only known him for a couple of weeks."

"And you seem happier with Seth than you ever did with Drake."

"But how─"

"Seth told me what Drake did." He laid he fork down on his empty plate. "I'm glad he was there. I trust him completely because you're his imprint."

"It's funny how simple words can such a big meaning."

"You'll understand it more as time goes by." He washed his plate and left.


	17. Arianna

{{Arianna's POV.}}

* * *

><p>They were here again; I could smell them. Stupid werewolves always snooping around. That's how they were going to get themselves killed. I only found one that I could talk to, and that was because of Charlotte. Her father told me not to harm him. They were <em>mates<em>. Disgusting. I couldn't accept that. However, I did promise him, only for Charlotte. I would do anything for her, that's why I left. It was too dangerous for me to be around her.

They stopped a mile from my house. I heard one shift and start running towards my house. Three of the other werewolves followed, but stayed in there wolf form. I looked out the window. I could see their figures coming out of the trees. They sent him again. I smiled. It was nice to know they didn't trust anyone else to come. They knew I would kill anyone else. The three werewolves stopped at the edge of the trees as he continued to walk forward. He knocked on the door.

"Kayla. Andrew." They were instantly beside me. "Stay on your guard." They nodded and disappeared. "Come in Seth," I called.

He stood in the doorway.

"You don't trust me. Smart boy. However, I have agreed to not harm you because it would make my Charlotte unhappy." His heart sped up when I said her name. "Sit." He closed the door and sat on the couch. "What's wrong now?" I asked.

"Your two…companions are hunting on our grounds."

"And? They have to feed."

"I─We would appreciate it if they didn't. People are starting to get scared."

"So just talk to my…companions. I'm sure they'll understand your concerns. Kayla. Andrew." They stood in front of me. "Seth would like to ask something of you." I gestured at Seth to continue.

"You need to stop hunting on our land."

"Sure," they both said at the same time.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it? Anything else?"

"Could you stay away from Charlotte?"

I held back the urge to laugh. He was asking me to stay away from my only child? He obviously had more faith in my promise than I thought. If he were anybody else that demanded something from me, I would kill them. Then I thought of Charlotte, my dear sweet daughter.

"Why?" I asked. "I have just as much right to see her as you do."

"I don't think she's ready to meet her mother yet. She thinks you're dead."

"If it makes you happy, then I will." He sighed with relief. "I will come to her birthday though, so be prepared for that."

"Her birthday?" He didn't know when it was.

"This Saturday, July 19th." That gave him two days to prepare. I loved making people feel surprised and caught off guard. "So, Seth that gives you little time to tell her I'm alive. If you don't…well I hope your relationship with her is strong. She won't like you lying to her. She might never trust you again. But I'm her mother. She will forgive me because she'll be all too happy that I'm alive." I smiled and opened the door. "Nice seeing you while you're still happy and content with your life." He left quickly.

Perfect.

"Kayla. Make sure you keep her little friends busy. I don't want her to know that I'm coming. Andrew. Take care of any that she misses." They nodded and left. This was going so well.

The phone rang.

"What?"

"Arianna, don't you dare do anything that will hurt Charlotte."

"Hello, George. What makes you think I will ever hurt my own daughter? I'm just making sure everything in her life will be for the best."

"Please, don't hurt her. She's very fragile. I'm afraid if you do what you think is best for her she'll break. I can't put those pieces back together properly if she does." He sounded so caring.

"Whatever happens is for a reason." I hung up before he could say anything else.


	18. Surprise Visit

{{Seth's POV.}}

* * *

><p>How could I not know Charlotte's birthday? Well now that I think about it…our birthdays never really came up in conversations. I had two days. Two days to find her a present. Two days to throw her a party. Two days to tell her that her mother was alive and coming to her birthday. This couldn't end well.<p>

I arrived at her house. She was bringing bags in from her father's truck.

"Charlotte," I called. My heart sped up at her gorgeous smile.

"Hey. Uh, can you help me take these in?"

"Sure." I grabbed an armful of bags and followed her inside. "What are these for?"

"My dad finally bought food. Some of it is for my birthday party I think. I guess I forgot to mention that my birthday is this Saturday." It was such a nice time to tell me her birthday was in two days. I couldn't exactly blame her. We set all the stuff on the kitchen table. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You seem a little down. Is everything okay?"

I sighed. "Yeah. Everything's fine." Now would be a good time to tell her. It would be better than later. Maybe it would give her time to think and maybe she wouldn't be so mad at me.

"Uh, actually there is something I have to tell you. Something that is really important."

"Okay." We sat at the table. She started unloading the bags.

"It's about your mother. She's─" I was interrupted by a knock at the door. Typical.

"I'll be right back." The door opened, then closed a moment later. She came back to the kitchen. "No one was there. Okay so go ahead. My mother is...?"

"She's not─" There was another knock. She held up a finger. Again the door opened and closed.

"I think someone is pranking my house." Another knock. "What do they want?"

I walked past her and opened the door. "What the hell do you want?" I growled.

"Uh, s-sorry. I think we have the wrong house."

I blinked. Two girls stood outside. They had suitcases with them.

"Oh, sorry. Can I help you?"

"We're looking for Charlotte Duckling. Do you know where she lives?"

"Charlotte? She lives here."

"Oh." Their faces brightened.

"Come in." I opened the door wider. They stayed in the hallway as I went to the kitchen. "Uh, Charlotte there's two people here that know you."

"Who?" She peeked around the corner. "Jessi! Carla! What are you guys doing here?"

"Your birthday party!"

"And a few extra days."

"Awesome! I'll show you guys to my room. I can't believe you guys are here!" They ran up the stairs and came back a few minutes later.

"Seth, these are my best friends, Jessi and Carla."

"Hi." I stood and let them have the chairs.

"He's cute," Jessi whispered as she walked in.

"He's probably taken, right Charlotte?"

"Shut up you guys."

"It's not like her can hear us."

I smiled to myself. If they only knew. They sat at the table and talked catching up on their summer.

I couldn't tell her now. I would have to wait, but it didn't look like I would be telling her before Saturday. She would want to hang out with her friends. They would probably help her plan her party. This was a very bad time for her mother to mention that she was coming. I didn't want Charlotte to think I was lying to her. I did try to tell her. This was so frustrating. I left without any of them noticing. I made it to the edge of the woods behind her house before she called me.

"Seth? Where are you going?"

"I have to talk to Sam." I wanted to tell him that Arianna was coming. I didn't have time to this morning. Even though Mr. Duckling told me not to, I thought this was an exception.

"Oh. Okay. So I'll see you later?"

"I don't know. There's a lot that's going on." I really hated this.

"Seth?" I stopped and turned to face her. She crushed her lips to mine. "Please, be careful. Whatever you're doing."

"I will."

* * *

><p>"Saturday? That's only two days. We have a lot of work to do," Sam said. "And those two vampires of hers are going to be a problem."<p>

"And two of her friends are here," I added.

"Which means we have to keep them clueless." I nodded. "Stay with Charlotte. And try to tell her."

I nodded again and left. My phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Seth. Something's wrong again." It was Alice. "I can't see anything."

"Arianna is coming this Saturday. Charlotte doesn't know. I've been trying to tell her, but I keep getting interrupted."

She sighed. "We'll keep an eye on things."

"Thanks." I hung up.


	19. Worried

{{Charlotte's POV}}

I knew something was wrong with him, but he didn't want to tell me. I wasn't going to demand he tell me, either. He would when he was ready, I suppose. I just hoped it worked out.

"Charlotte? What's wrong?" Jessi shook my shoulder.

"Oh, it's nothing." I shut the front door and sat on the couch with my legs folded under me.

"Something's bothering you." Carla sat on the floor while Jessi sat on the couch next to me.

"I'm worried about Seth. Something's off about him. I don't know what, but it's something really important."

"We could leave and let you two talk for a while," Carla suggested.

"No no. It's fine. I'll just talk to him later. Besides, you guys came all this way just for my birthday. You could have just mailed me my presents."

"You act like you just met us," Carla laughed.

"Exactly. We couldn't just mail your presents. There were too many."

"It would cost us more to mail them than to just drive."

"Just how many did you bring?" I asked slowly.

"You'll just have to wait," they said together.

We stayed in the living room until dinner. We ordered pizza. My dad came in an hour later.

"Jessi. Carla. You finally made it." They waved.

"You knew they were coming?"

"It wasn't hard to keep from you." He sat at the table. "Did you guys save me some?"

"A few slices. We're going upstairs."

"Wait a second Charlotte. I want to ask you something."

"Okay..." Jessi and Carla ran to my room. "What's up?"

"Where's Seth?"

I shrugged. "He left. He said he was going to talk to Sam about something. Where were you? You left your truck and disappeared."

"I was taking a walk in the woods." He looked so guilty...like he had something to hide. Everyone was keeping secrets from me. "Well, you better go have fun with your friends."

"Hey Dad?" I stopped in the doorway. "Seth said something about my mother. Do you know anything about her? You never exactly told me how she died." He choked on his pizza. "Sorry. It must be hard talking about her. You don't have to tell me now." I ran upstairs.


	20. Dresses

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I stepped outside my room while Carla and Jessi were still asleep. We had stayed up until almost three talking about my party. We decided to have it at the beach in La Push. I always wanted a beach party and La Push wasn't that far away. It was perfect. I stepped over them and quietly shut my door. I heard the front door open then close. I stopped.<p>

"She must not know yet," I heard my dad say. He was talking to someone.

"I can't just lie to her." Seth was down there. I hid behind the railing.

"I'm not asking you to lie to her. I'm asking that you keep this a secret from her. I know it will be hard and I know you started to tell her, but you have to wait a while. I think we can keep Arianna from her birthday party." Seth nodded slowly. "This is for her benefit Seth, I promise."

Who was Arianna, and why were they keeping from my party? I shrugged. I didn't know anyone named Arianna, so I wasn't too concerned. My dad went out the door. Where was he always going? He always disappeared and never told me, but then again it wasn't my business.

I walked down the stairs. Seth turned to look at me. He had a sad expression on his face.

"Why so down? Cheer up. The day might get better." I patted his back and headed to the kitchen.

"Nothing can make this day any better." He slouched in the chair. I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't.

"Well, I can try to make you feel better." I kissed him.

He smiled a bit. "That makes me feel a little better." He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. "But I need more cheering up." He gently touched his lips to mine. They were so soft. I leaned closer to him.

"Awww. That's so sweet."

We jumped apart and looked up. Carla stood in the doorway with Jessi behind her.

"Wow. Don't stop just because we came down." I blushed.

"We need to eat," I said. "Seth, are you staying for breakfast?" I opened the refrigerator. Yum…turkey bacon.

"I hope so," Carla whispered. I glared at her.

"It's almost two. I think you guys missed breakfast," he laughed.

"Brunch then."

"Sure, why not." He leaned back in his chair. "I've always wondered what a group of girls talked about in the morning. Just pretend like I'm not here." I cooked all the bacon. It smelled so wonderful.

"It's hard to pretend that a hot guy is not in the kitchen watching us," Jessi said under her breath.

"No kidding."

I wanted to tell them that Seth could hear everything they were saying, even if he was sitting across the room staring out the window. I could see a smile at the corner of his mouth. He was trying not to laugh. But it amused me how they thought they're conversation was private, so I let them continue.

"So Charlotte, are you two dating?" Jessi leaned against the counter. She started peeling an orange. I found muffins in the pantry and put some in the microwave to warm up.

"Yes, we are." More than they would ever know. "Don't bug him with your questions. I'm positive you'll approve him."

"With a kiss like that I would hope he is." Carla bit into an apple. "You never kissed Drake like that." I had forgotten all about Drake. I'm sure he was fine though. "What happened with you two?"

"We just broke up. We didn't want the long distance relationship. There's nothing more to it." I really didn't want to discuss this with Seth sitting there. He was still upset about it. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough, his jaw was clinched and his body tense.

I put the bacon and muffins on a plate and sat in Seth's lap. Jessi and Carla sat in the only other two chairs. "It's in the past. Let it go," I said low enough so only he would hear. I felt his shoulders relax. His arms wrapped around my waist and his chin rested on my shoulder.

"So what are you girls going to be talking about?" I knew he was trying to distract himself.

"We were talking about her birthday party when we fell asleep."

I groaned. "I thought we were done discussing this. We have the place, the decorations, the food planned out… What else is there?"

"We are going to look for our dresses today. That's all that's left."

I planned to borrow something from Alice. I was sure that she would want to dress me anyway. Seth's phone rang.

"Hello? It's for you. It's Alice."

I took the phone. "Alice?"

"So I was thinking about your dress. I have a perfect one. And I have some for your friends. Come over as soon as you can." She hung up before I could say anything.

"We don't have to go shopping for dresses." I handed the phone back to Seth. "Alice found some that we might like. Don't worry, I'm sure you will find something that you like. Her closet is huge and filled with anything and everything you could want and more," I explained.

"Uh, okay."

"I guess."

"You'll be there all day," Seth protested. "She'll never let you leave her room. You'll be lucky if you make it out alive."

"She's not that bad. She's just excited with clothes and fashion." Even though I hadn't spent much time with Alice, I could clearly see she loved clothes.

"Well, we should check out this friend of yours. Let's not waste time." They went to get changed.

I reached for another piece of bacon, but the plate was empty. "Thanks so much for saving me a second piece."

"Sorry." He stood and placed me on my feet. "I'll meet you there. I'm sure she'll want to dress me as well." He kissed my cheek and left.

* * *

><p>"Wow."<p>

"I like this."

We stepped inside Alice's closet. She had disappeared in the mass of fabric and came back with an armful of dresses. I couldn't even see her, just a pile of walking colors.

"Okay, this is some of them. Pick what you like. There are more if you don't find anything that you like, but I doubt that will happen. And don't say thank you, I'm always happy to help." She pulled me into one her closet. "This one is for you. I think you'll love it." She pushed me into one of the changing rooms.

There was a plastic dress bag hanging on the wall. I unzipped it. It was an emerald satin knee-length dress with ruffles and bow sash at waist. It was beautiful and perfect. I loved it instantly. I tried it on. It fit perfectly. I stepped out.

"How does it look?" I asked.

"Perfect."

"Amazing."

"Man, I'm good. Turn around." I turned slowly. "Shoes!"

"I'm not wearing heels Alice! I can't walk on the beach in heels!" I yelled.

"Fine!" she called back.

Carla had found a mid-thigh length purple dress. It had light purple at the top and a darker purple at the bottom. A black band was wrapped around the waist. Jessi found a simple, blue pleated dress. Alice brought out the flats. All of them were black. So much for being individual. I assumed she was going to give us flats that were the same color as our dresses. I was starting to think she was slacking. My dress was put in plastic bag and zipped. Alice didn't want anyone else to see it.

We stayed and had dinner. Seth came down a few minutes later from one of the other rooms. I didn't even know he was here yet.

"She wouldn't let me go until I tried on every possible option." I didn't see anyone else.

"Alice, where is everyone?"

"They're out. They wanted to be prepared for your birthday party." I was confused. "They went hunting. Just to be on the safe side," she whispered.

After dinner, we went back to my house, promising Alice we would come around three after we set up the party equipment. She wanted to be sure that our hair and make-up was perfect. Jessi and Carla agreed quickly.

"Don't go overboard tomorrow," I warned her.

"No promises," she laughed.

Seth went home saying he'd meet us tomorrow and help set up.

I went to sleep feeling excited. I had a beautiful dress, perfect place to have my party, I was turning eighteen, and everyone that I loved was going to be there. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

><p>Charlotte's dress:<p>

Carla's dress:

.

Jessi's dress:

/dresses/images/co3092_rblue_

* * *

><p>I'm not sure if the links to the dresses will work. So if they don't just can someone tell me? And I will see if I can find the dress again or one close to the description. Thanks.<p>

So I counted all the chapters, and there is a total of 38.


	21. Let's Get This Party Started!

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning at ten. Jessi and Carla were still asleep, but hey would wake up soon. I trudged downstairs to find something for breakfast.<p>

"Morning. Ready for the big day?" My father sat at the table eating. I was surprised he was here and not off doing whatever it was that he did.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Well, you guys have fun." He stood and kissed my forehead. "I'll be back before your party starts. There are just a few things that I have to do." I spoke too soon. He disappeared again.

I had to stand on a chair to reach the cereal on top of the refrigerator. I was too excited to eat much, and this was the quickest and easiest thing to eat at the moment.

"Morning!" I screamed and fell backwards. "Careful, we can't have you break anything on your birthday."

"I wouldn't have slipped if you didn't sneak up on me." Seth set me on my feet. "I think I will get you one of those cat bells or something." He laughed. "I didn't even here you come in. How can you be so silent?" He sat at the table while I ate.

"I think it's another one of those werewolf things."

Jessi and Carla came around the corner.

"Seth came for breakfast again?" Carla whispered to me.

"Leave him alone. If he wants to come then he will."

"Wow. It shows how much he wants to be around you." I saw Seth's mouth twitch into a smile.

"Hurry up and eat so we can leave," I said. I placed my bowl in the sink and headed upstairs with Seth following. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt and put on my old converse.

"So are you excited for today?" Seth asked.

"Yes. All the people I love are going to be there and my friends are coming as well, even though it was completely unexpected." I sat on the edge of my bed by Seth. "I have a question. You said that you protect La Push from vampires, and if they get too close then you will have to kill them, right?" He nodded. "The Cullens are coming to my birthday party, but my party is on the beach in La Push. You're not going to kill them are you?"

He laughed. "No, we know that they won't intentionally cause trouble, but they still have to stay on their side of the boundaries. Only for today they can come onto La Push territory."

"So if the werewolves are friends with vampires, then why is there still a boundary? Both groups get along."

"It's complicated. We can't just change the rules."

"You have for today," I pointed out.

"Again, I say it's complicated." I noticed he didn't look at me.

"Fine fine. If you don't want to talk about this then I won't bring it up again."

"I can't really tell you at this moment. I have to keep a promise to so many things—" I stood. "Where are you going? Are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad; I'm just confused. There's something going on with you and my father and neither one of you will tell me. I hate that both of you are keeping secrets from me." I pushed past him and headed downstairs.

"I can't help it. I'm sworn to secrecy."

"I know. It has to do with the whole…'issue' but I really would like to be in on it sometimes." I saw Jessi and Carla peek around the corner.

"Charlotte—"

"I'm not going to start anything today. Let's just drop it for now."

"Okay. We'll talk about it later then." He kissed my cheek and left.

I sank into the couch. This was not how I wanted to start my day. I didn't want to be upset with Seth, but I hated that he was keeping things from me, even if he was forbidden to tell. These last few days were starting to stress me out.

"Um, are you guys okay? It sounded like a big argument." Carla sat beside me on the couch.

"It's nothing. Are you guys ready?" I asked before they could ask more questions. They ran upstairs to change and were back in a few minutes.

I drove to La Push. People were already on the beach. Tables and chairs were being set up. We helped place all the decorations on the table. The tables were draped with alternating colors of blue, black, and green. There were two long tables, each with a sign that said 'gifts'. I saw Seth and a few others from the pack unloading chairs and placing them around the tables. There was a table near the middle that was more decorated than the others. I was guessing this was where I was going to sit. A few more chairs were placed around the table. At least I wouldn't be sitting by myself. There was also a platform that was set off to the side and a DJ booth. Lights were being strung across the ground and under the platform. We blew up a lot of balloons. Some were placed on the back of chairs; most of them were scattered on the sand. Even though it was still daylight, it looked really good. I couldn't wait to see it when I was dark.

"Hey, it's almost three. Shouldn't we be going?" Carla reminded me. I didn't even notice that the time had flown by so quickly.

"Uh, yeah, we should go. I don't want to keep Alice waiting." We rushed to my car and drove to the Cullen's house. Alice stood on the front steps tapping her foot.

"You're late."

I looked at my phone. "Only by ten minutes."

"Humph."

It took Alice hours to finish with our make-up and hair. I was pleased with the outcome but I personally thought it took too much time. We waited downstairs for Alice.

"Ready?" We turned to see Alice coming down the stairs. Her dress was simple but it looked amazing on her. It was a strapless dark plum dress with a turquoise band around her waist that tied into a bow. She was the only one of us that wore heels. I was positive though that she wouldn't fall or get a heel stuck or sink in the sand. She held the graceful walk of a vampire.

It was only seven when we pulled up at the beach. It was almost dusk. The lights were light and made the water sparkle which made the night seem so much more alive.

"It looks so beautiful."

Alice stood beside me. "Wow, it really does. Shall we?" All four of us linked arms and walked towards the party.

* * *

><p>Alice's dress:<p>

.uk/dresses/temptress/misfit_


	22. Confession

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I was escorted to my seat by Seth. He sat on my left and my father on my right. Jessi, Carla, and Alice sat across from me. I could see that the rest of the werewolves were already seated on one side and the vampires on the other. It's strange how two groups that hate each other can be within the same territory as one another, even though it was for one night.<p>

Seth shifted uneasily beside me. His eyes kept darting around.

"Why are you so uptight now? Is there something I should be looking for?" I asked as I also started to glance around.

He shook his head. "Just enjoy the party. I want everything to be perfect for you." His voice was more relaxed, but it still held a nervousness edge to it. I didn't want to ask again and cause a scene, so I stayed quiet and decided to talk to him later.

I opened the gifts first: clothing and make-up from Alice, a photo album of our childhood with dozens of pictures in a separate box, books, and more clothes from Jessi and Carla, a camera from my dad—which we started using immediately—and various things from everyone else. There was too much to describe them all. It filled my car and my dad's truck. I didn't expect this much, but I was more than happy with the results. We ate the food next. The cake was a two layer chocolate with strawberry icing. I wasn't worried about all the food going to waste; it was gone in a matter of minutes thanks to the hungry guys.

"Hungry bunch of friends you got there," Carla pointed out.

"Do they always eat this much?" Jessi asked. I only nodded. I knew they were still hungry because Seth's stomach growled a few minutes later.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I would have bought more if I knew you still going to be this hungry."

He laughed. "It's fine. I'll eat later."

Music started playing and Seth pulled me to my feet. Other people coupled up and joined us on the platform. Carla and Jessi sat at the table with my father; he preferred not to dance. I felt bad for them until I noticed they were checking out all the guys. I'm sure every one of them could hear every word they were saying. I laughed to myself.

"You look beautiful," Seth whispered in my ear.

"You clean up nicely too." He was wearing black slacks and a light blue button down shirt. He looked rather hot to me.

We danced for a few more songs; most of them were slow which I didn't mind at all. I got my father to dance halfway through a slow song. He kept stepping on my feet and quickly gave up. I then danced with Jessi and Carla in a circle with our arms wrapped each other. It ended up being a very fun night. Everything was going smoothly. We all sat around a bonfire talking and making s'mores when it was starting to get late. The Cullens had left. I was guessing that they wanted to feel comfortable with their surroundings and left as soon as possible. I would never understand why they didn't like each other so much. I started to doze off when Seth stiffened.

"What now?"

He suddenly stood and pulled me behind him. I glanced around and saw that everyone else did the same.

"Leah. Quil. Brady. Collin. Take everyone and go to Emily's. Brady and Collin stay inside. Leah and Quil, you patrol. The rest are with me," said Sam. Carla and Jessi were looking confused as to how everyone stood so quickly, and how they ended up behind a wall of guys. They didn't have time to ask me what was happening. They were being pulled away as I glanced back. I saw my dad arguing but still being dragged away. Something wasn't right. I could tell that the atmosphere had changed and nothing good was going to come out of this night.

Sam, Paul, Jared, Jacob, and Seth were all facing the other side of the beach. I peered over Seth's shoulder. It was really dark. I could only see a figure coming closer to us with two more figures coming out of the trees behind the first. They stopped only a few yards away.

"I told you I would come." A soft female voice floated across the air. "I always keep my promises. And I still have time to spare." No one moved or said anything. "Well are you going to let me see her?" Seth growled. "I see we are going to have to do this the hard way. Kayla."

The area was filled with more people.

"You're outnumbered now. Are you still thinking about challenging me? I can tell you right now that nothing good will come of this. Someone will get hurt because you werewolves are being stubborn."

Seth gripped my wrists and took a step back. I didn't understand what was happening.

"There will be no escaping. I warned you, and you didn't take precautions."

Everything after that happened so fast. The figures lunged at us, everyone scattered, and Seth pulled me away from the sound of clothing ripping and growls. I was alone momentarily and then a sandy-colored wolf appeared next to me.

"Seth, what's going on?" He mad a motion with his head from me to him back. "You want me to climb on you?"

He nodded quickly and looked back. A deep growl came from his throat. I quickly climbed up onto his back, which was hard considering I had a dress on. He took off before I even gripped onto him. I kept my head pressed into his fur. I could feel the wind whipping past, but I didn't dare glance around. I knew he was running at full speed. I could hear the growls fading into the background. Soon all I heard was the thumping of his feet on the ground and the pounding of our hearts.

He stopped a few hours later. I slid off his back onto the ground. We were still surrounded by trees. I had no idea where we were. He disappeared and came back a few second later. He sat across from me. He had some serious explaining to do. I opened my mouth, but he interrupted before I could say anything.

"I know you are confused and want to have some explanations, but the main focus right now should be trying to stay away from that woman. She's dangerous. I can't stand for you to get hurt."

"Who is she?" I asked. "Where are Jessi and Carla being taken to? Why is she after me? Why should I avoid her?" I wanted all these questions answered, but by the expression on his face, I knew he wasn't going to tell me much.

"Jessi and Carla are safe. Just trust me and stay away from her."

"I don't think I can trust you fully when you're not telling me everything," I muttered as I folded my arms across my chest.

"I will tell you. Can you at least wait for a few hours?"

"It must be bad if you can't tell me now."

We sat silently for a few hours. I could see that he was debating with himself. I cared but not enough at this moment to ask. I was upset that explanations had to wait. I wanted to know now. I was such a spoiled brat.

A movement caught my eye. Another large wolf came out of the trees. It was solid black and bigger than Seth was.

"Sam." Seth nodded to it. "Is everything fine now?" The wolf nodded then disappeared. "Okay, well we can go back now," Seth said as he went behind a tree.

I stood silently and waited for him to come back. I climbed onto his back again and he took off. We were back at the woods that surrounded my house in a few hours. I slid from his back and walked to my house without waiting for him. I ran upstairs to change. My dress was ruined. It was covered with spots of mud and had rips across it. My shoes were beyond identifiably. I hoped Alice wouldn't get too mad. I momentarily wondered where she was. She was a vampire and so was her family. They should have been there when those other people attacked us, right? I took a long shower and washed my hair. Bits of leaves and dirt were tangled into it. I changed into a purple tank top and black short. I brushed my wet hair and put it into a messy bun. I wasn't planning on going anywhere for a while.

I'm sure Carla and Jessi would be here soon. I wasn't prepared to make up excuses of where I was and what happened. I hoped someone else thought of something. I sighed and trudged downstairs. Seth was sitting on the couch with his face in his hands. My dad was sitting across from him staring into blank space. Paul, Jared, Sam, and Jacob were standing in the hallway. There was no sign of the others. All of their eyes landed on me as I stood by the bottom of the stairs.

"Okay, what's going on?" No one answered. I was getting sick of this silence. "All I want is an explanation as to why no one seems to be telling me anything. You expect me to go on with life as if nothing had happened and not to ask any questions. I'm tired of being out of the loop." I took a deep breath. "I just want to know something and why everyone is so uptight about keeping quiet." I sat beside Seth. "Seth?" I asked.

He looked past me to Sam.

"We'll leave." The others left out the door quickly. "I think it's better if she knows. Having more secrets will just make things worse, might as well tell her before she finds out another way." Sam looked at me. I was starting to get scared now. "I'm sorry. It was mostly my fault. I gave him orders. Please don't be so harsh on him." He was the last to leave. It was silent for a few minutes.

"Anyone?" I asked. My dad was still staring into space. Seth had his head in his hands again.

"I don't know where to start," my dad sighed. He rubbed his hands across his face and through his hair then leaned forward and looked me in the eye. "Your mother isn't dead."


	23. Meltdown

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I must not have heard him right. She wasn't dead? Of course she was dead. How else would you explain her absence? I'm sure she would have came and been with us. Why hadn't she?<p>

"She was the one you saw coming out of the trees," Seth said. "The other two are with her as well."

I didn't believe one word of this, no matter how serious they acted. My mother couldn't possibly be alive.

"She told us she would be coming to see you on your birthday. She thought it was time that you knew she was alive." They paused letting me absorb this.

I laughed. "You expect me to believe that my dead mother crashed my birthday party?" They both stared at me as if I had lost my mind. Maybe I was going insane. How would someone else react if they were told their mother, who they've grown up to know she was dead, was really alive?

"Obviously you don't believe us." My dad frowned. They thought I was in shock. I was the exact opposite of shocked.

I calmed down from my laughing fit. "How could she have been alive? You told me she was dead."

"And now I'm telling you she's not. She's been alive all this time. She lives around La Push."

"We went to her funeral! She was in the casket!"

"Well, she faked her own death. We thought it was for the best. I lied to protect you."

"To protect me? You've lied to me for years!" I jumped to my feet. Seth was still silent. "I've always asked about her and you lied. Why?" He opened his mouth. "No, protection is not an excuse. Just don't tell me. I'm sure you'll lie about that too." I crossed through the kitchen to the backdoor. I walked quickly to across the backyard making my way to the trees. I wanted to be alone.

"Wait! Charlotte, where are you going?" I heard the backdoor open then shut.

"Away from here!" I didn't want to be anywhere near here. I was too upset and confused.

"You can't just go off by yourself. You need to have someone who is able to protect you with you. She could come and take you away."

"I don't really care. I think it would be better with her than here." I was a few yards from my sanctuary.

"At least let Seth go with you."

I stopped. Seth did say something about my mother a few times. Was he trying to tell me that she was alive? I spun around. Seth stood a few feet from me.

"You knew too, didn't you?" He kept his eyes on the ground and nodded. "And you tried to tell me. How long have you known?" I whispered. He was silent. "Seth, how long?"

He looked up at me. "A while. Since the first time you found out I was a werewolf." That was so many weeks ago. He could have told me; even if Sam did order him not to he could have tried and talked to Sam about letting me know.

"Charlotte?"

I blinked.

"So you all keep secrets from me?" I whispered. I turned to Seth. "Including you." He nodded. His eyes stayed fixed on mine. "Why?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered and took a step towards me. "Let me explain."

"No Seth! I won't hear of it!" It came out harsher than I meant it to, but I was pissed.

"Charlotte, please listen to me."

I shook my head harshly and took another step back. My back hit a tree. "Seth, please." Tears were running fast down my cheeks. How could he have kept this from me? How could my father have kept this from me? All this time…I thought was mother was dead. But she was alive, living on the edge of La Push. Everyone knew this but me…. Why?

"Charlotte..." He reached out his arms for me.

I looked him directly in the eyes.

"Please, Seth. Leave me alone. I don't e-ever want to see you a-again." I dropped my eyes back down to the ground. When I looked back up, he was gone.

I sank to the ground and held myself. I was shaking uncontrollably with my sobs. I leaned my head in my knees.

"Charlotte…" I looked up to see my dad approaching me. "Charlotte, it's not his fault. You can't be mad at him."

"I can't be mad at him?" I screamed. "He lied to me! You lied to me!" He held up his hands and took a step back. "Everyone has. Everyone is just as guilty as he is…but it hurts me more knowing that he lied to me and didn't tell me." It felt like my heart was breaking into a million pieces. I had hurt Seth and in turn hurt myself.

"He didn't lie to you, I asked him not to tell you. Sam ordered him not to tell you."

"Like that's a big difference. This wasn't just some small detail; this was finding out my mother was alive! The main thing is that he didn't tell me. He knew and didn't tell me. None of you did…" I buried my face back into my arms.

"Charlotte, you have to understand that it was to protect you."

"Keeping me from my mother is not protecting me. I would have still liked to know that she was alive, that she was living only a few miles from me," I mumbled into my arms. I could have visited her when I was at Emily's house. She was so close and I didn't even know…

"But Charlotte─"

"No! I'm tired of this. I'm going to bed." I ran back inside and up the steps to my room and slammed my door shut. I through myself onto my bed and cried throughout the rest of the night.

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

Weeks passed. Seth frequently visited our house but, I never spoke to him. He tried constantly to explain everything to me, but I never let him. I could tell he was more depressed than I was. There were always dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he could fall over from a gentle breeze. I was in better condition but not by much. I couldn't sleep at night very well. I kept waking up ever ten minutes. I always imagined Seth snoring next to me or seeing him downstairs as I went to get breakfast, but he was never there. Jessi and Carla left the day after my birthday. They tried to get me to talk to them. They knew something was wrong between me and Seth, but I couldn't tell them the truth. I lied and said our relationship just ended. They didn't ask where I went while they were being dragged off either. I hardly ever said anything to my dad, only when I desperately needed to.

I sat outside on the swing that we had recently gotten in our backyard that faced the woods. I wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling them closer to me. I heard my dad come out the back door and he sat beside me.

"So are you ready for school?"

Ugh. School started tomorrow. No matter where you were high school was high school. Cheerleaders, geeks, jocks, dorks, preps, skaters, and the occasionally goths. Then there were the people─like me and a few others─that couldn't care less about what happened and what everyone had to say. We were the smart ones; the ones who wanted high school to be over and done with. I really didn't want to go. I already had so much to deal with. I wasn't looking forward to anything.

"I'll take the silence as a no."

It was mostly a no, and that I just didn't want to talk to him.

"You have to talk sometime. I know you're probably going insane. Can't we talk? It can be about anything."

"I'd rather sit quietly."

"Then I'll talk. You've been ignoring Seth. He's hurt and I know he feels terrible about what happened, but you have to forgive him and talk to him. Both of you are destroying yourself by being away from each other."

"I do forgive him. I forgave him weeks ago. I just never told him. I don't know what to say to him. I can barely be near him when he comes over. I'm just hurt." This was the most I had said to him in weeks.

"I'm sure things will work out with you two. It might be rocky and tough, but just give it time. Promise me you'll at least try."

I let out a loud sigh. "Fine, I'll try, but it won't be so soon in the near future."

"You better make it in the near future or I'll bring him here and not let you leave."

"Do whatever you think is best." I stood and went back inside. It was getting dark outside and I wanted to try to get some sleep tonight. I changed into pajamas and crawled into bed.


	24. Introductions

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p><em>Great, my first day at a new school<em>. I woke up this morning at six and couldn't go back to sleep. I decided to get dressed and wait until it was time to leave.

"Charlotte! Come on, you're going to be late!" I looked at the clock. It was 7:34a.m. Had I been sitting here that long?

"Charlotte!"

"Coming!"

I hurriedly threw a notebook and a few pens into my oversized pursed. What was the need of having a backpack and this huge purse? It surely was big enough. I'd already lost many things to it, only to have them turn up days later.

I ran quickly down the stairs and headed out the door. It was sprinkling.

"You are so slow in the mornings." My dad was standing next to his truck.

"Sorry." I unlocked my car door and got inside.

"You know how to get there?"

"I think I can manage." I buckled my seatbelt and pulled off. I glanced at my watch. "Crap. Late on the first day."

Seth had completely disappeared. I haven't heard from him in a few days and that was weird considering he was constantly here trying to talk to me. I wondered if he had given up. My dad hadn't even said anything about it. He was waiting for me to talk to Seth.

The roads were only slightly wet from the morning drizzle. Even though I liked it a lot, I just didn't like to get wet. Unless it was the warm rain. I sighed. No more warm rain for me. It was cold up North. The only warm rain I would have were the showers in the morning.

I pulled up a few minutes later, parking in the closest spot to the door. There were already people here running quickly inside to get out of the rain. I took a deep breath and walked towards the front entrance. Time to get on with this, I thought. I pushed open the double doors and followed the signs that led to the office. It was very small, almost closet-like. There barely looked like there was room for the huge oak desk and the few chairs lined against the sides of the walls.

The woman looked up over her glasses. "Oh! Hello. May I help you?"

I stepped forward. "I'm Charlotte Duckling. I transferred here."

"Your grade?"

"Senior." I was happy this was my last year of high school.

"Duckling. Duckling..." She mumbled to herself, looking in the over-crowded baskets. A high-pitched noise sounded. I looked around curiously.

"Oh that's just the bell, sweetie."

I nodded. I was getting restless. I wanted to hurry to class; I hated being late. I waited impatiently.

"Found it!" Her outburst startled me. "Here you go. Do you need someone to come and show you your classes?"

"Oh no, I'll manage. Thanks." I quickly left. How hard could finding my classes be? Even though it did seem to be larger than my last school.

I was getting lost quickly. I arrived at my first class about halfway into it by the looks of it.

"Nice to see you that you would be joining us," the teacher announced.

"S-sorry." I blushed and stumbled to an empty seat.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" I looked at my teacher. A tall male with blondish-brown hair and brown eyes and glasses. He was a little on the small side for a male.

"Uh...No, I'd rather not."

"Nonsense! I'll start it off. I'm Mr. Broads, the Public Speaking teacher. You are...?"

"It would be best to just get it over with," the girl next to me whispered.

"I'm Char―"

"Stand."

"Pardon?"

"Stand. As in 'get out of your seat'."

I stood. Was this teacher serious? I know I have only been in this room for about two minutes, but where was the happy "Good morning and welcome" friendly gestures? Had I missed it?

"Uh, I'm Charlotte Duckling."

There was a slight pause as I stood awkwardly.

"That's all you have to say?"

I nodded.

"We need to work on your shyness. Sit."

He turned his back to me and continued to talk to the rest of the class. "One thing that you will learn from this class is to not be shy." Hs looked directly at me. "Being shy drops your grade."

So I was going to fail this class from being shy...wonderful. Why did I sign up for this class again? I would never have picked this class. I think my dad had something to do with this…

"Also, no gum." He put a trashcan under a girl's nose. She groaned and spit it in. "No sleeping." He picked up a ruler and walked behind me and the girl that sat next beside me. He stood over another girl whose head was in her arms on the desk and slammed the ruler on her desk. Surprisingly, she did not jump. Instead, she slowly looked up into Mr. Broads's face and smiled.

"Dude. That was so not cool. Can't a guy sleep?" Why did this girl have a deep voice?

I realized it wasn't a girl...but a guy! He had some wickedly long hair.

"Don't 'dude' me Xavier, seems like I'm going to have trouble with you…just like your brother. You need to learn to pay attention. " Xavier gave Mr. Broads a salute as he turned to the front again. The whole class laughed.

"Oh yes. And finally no laughing!" The class died down to a snicker. "Ducky."

My head jerked to the front. "It's Duckling, sir."

He continued as if the hadn't heard me, "Tomorrow you need to have written an autobiography about yourself. Memorized. I expect a minimum of two pages. You'll have to speak to the class and answer all questions, including mine. Any questions? No? Okay then." The bell suddenly rang. That was quick. "Class dismissed." He promptly left out the door without a backwards glance.

Well didn't this suck! A two-page essay on myself? And memorized? What the hell was wrong with this teacher?

I stood with the rest of the class.

"Um, hi." I turned to see the only girl that had spoken to me standing next to the boy with weird hair. "I'm Skye. Skye Petterson."

"Oh, hi. I'm Charlotte." We shook hands and exchanged smiles.

"I think my uncle has a pig named Charlotte, like Charlotte's Web."

I looked at the boy. "The pig's name was Wilbur."

He scratched his head. "Or maybe it was Charles... I can't remember."

"Don't mind him. I think all that hair has gone to his head."

"Hey! Don't talk about me as if I'm not standing here." He poked her in the side laughing.

I giggled. These two were very amusing.

"I'm Xavier Alderwin." He smiled widely.

"Hey, so what's your next class?" Skye asked me.

I looked at my schedule. "Biology II."

"Well how about that. That's my next class too." Xavier grinned. "We better hurry. Don't want to be late for the second time, do we?"

"No. Definitely not."

"See you guys later." Skye walked in the opposite direction.

I walked slightly behind Xavier. We didn't talk which was fine with me. I had a chance to look around. My eyes landed on his hair. Now that I was closer, I could see that it was black with a solid blonde streak in the front. I thought it looked nice. He had on a black t- shirt and regular jeans. He looked normal to me.

We arrived just as the bell rang. I sat behind him. Everyone kept staring at me. Yeah that's right. Look at the new girl.

The class went by in a blur. I said goodbye to Xavier saying I could find my next class on my own. I didn't really want to slow the guy down with him leading me everywhere. I'm not one of those freshmen that look so helpless. I gathered my books and turned to leave.

"Hey wait!"

Someone grabbed my arm. "Hey, you're that new kid aren't you?"

"Yeah." I looked her up and down. Heels. Mini skirt. Shirt showing lots of cleavage. Blonde. Everything matching and pink. Ugh. She could be summed up in one simple word...prep. And so not worth my time. I turned for the door.

"Slow down a minute will you?" She grabbed my arm again and placed herself between the door and me. "Why are you hanging that loser?"

"Xavier?"

"Like I have time to remember his name." She waved her hand in an 'like I care' way. "You're way too pretty to hang with them." She flicked her long blonde hair behind her shoulders. "You want to sit with me and a group of my friends for lunch?"

Well it was rare that someone called me pretty. With my long, wavy, reddish hair─that was unnaturally not frizzy for most red-headed females─bright green eyes, fair skin, and small, petite body. I was pleased nonetheless.

"Um. Thanks but no thanks."

"Wait. No one has ever turned down an opportunity like this. This is a one in a lifetime chance."

"Well I guess there's a first time for everything." I tried to go around her, but she didn't move. "I have class to attend. Do you mind?"

She stared at me blankly, and then took a small step to the side. I quickly walked out. There was a murmur behind me, and then she shouted, "This is a once in a lifetime chance!"

Some people turned to look at her. I kept walking.

"May I help you?" She yelled at the on-lookers.

They quickly disappeared.

I snickered.

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

Trigonometry was my third class of the day. I sat in the back by the window. It was still raining…no surprise. Our first thing was a test to see how much we knew. Everyone groaned when they were being handed out. Personally, I loved math. I was finished before everyone. It was quite easy for me. I stared out the window while everyone else finished.

"Charlotte." Someone poked me in the side. I turned quickly.

"Alice? What are you doing here?"

"Learning from the educational system that you humans call school." She sat next to me.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

I waited for her to continue, but she didn't. "Alice?" I asked impatiently.

"I'm here to keep an eye on you."

"From what?" I asked. "My mother?" How much damage could a human cause?

"Seth didn't tell you?"

"We haven't talked much lately."

"I noticed. What's with you two? Is this because of your mother? Charlotte, you can't stay mad at him forever. He was just trying to protect you."

"I've heard this same speech before. Can you just drop it please? I promised my dad I would talk to him…eventually."

She nodded and stared out the window.

"Do you know where Seth is?"

"Somewhere being depressed." This was not helping my mood.

"You'll tell me if something bad happens to him, right?"

She glanced at me. "Yes. Whether he wants me too or not."

The bell rang signaling the end of class. We stood and headed for the door.

"Jasper's here too. I'm sure he'll be in one of your classes."

"Didn't you all go to school before?"

"A couple years ago."

"So won't someone recognize you two?"

"This is completely different school. And we are being careful."

I only nodded.

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

AP English was fourth. We were given a booklist. We had to write a paper that was due in two months on four books. Each had to be a page long. At least I loved books.

Lunch was next. Alice walked through the lunch line with me but didn't pick anything up for her. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Vampire remember."

She pulled me outside where we sat on a wall that faced the woods and let our feet dangle. Jasper soon joined us. He sat on the other side of Alice. We all stayed silent until I remembered something.

"Jasper, what's your ability?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Seth didn't tell you?" His voice wasn't deep but it still held a depth to it.

"We're not talking at the moment." I was starting to get annoyed with this.

"I can sense and control emotions."

"That's helpful…"

"It is when you need to calm down someone."

"So Edward can read minds, you can control emotions…Alice?"

"I can see the future but it's not always set in stone. It changes when people change their decision. The better I know someone, the more in tune with their future I can see. Except werewolves." She wrinkled her nose. "Not only do they smell awful, but I can't see past them. Drives me crazy. I can't even see Renesmee or you most of the time."

"Renesmee?"

"The child that you saw earlier. Although the next time you see her she won't look like one anymore."

"What do you mean? She is human, right?"

"Not exactly," Jasper said. "She's only half human half vampire." He held up a finger before I could ask anything else. "You'll have to ask Bella and Edward about it. It's their story to tell. Besides, we better get to class, lunch is almost over." He jumped from the wall and landed softly on his feet. Alice climbed onto his back. I dumped my uneaten lunch into the garbage and followed. I absently wandered where Skye and Xavier were.

The rest of the day ended quickly. I had AP History, then Spanish III, and finally gym. I thought I had gotten rid of gym at my other school. We only had to take one class of gym there; here was all four years…

Both of them were in my AP History. Only Alice was in my gym class. Neither of them would take Spanish III with me, they didn't want to have to learn it again. Jasper would be transferred to my AP English class tomorrow and Alice to my Public Speaking class. I already had a load to do for homework. They had already finished theirs in class.

I drove home quickly. My dad's truck wasn't in the driveway.

I grabbed an apple from the kitchen and headed upstairs to start on this long list of homework. I noticed there was a box sitting on my bed wrapped in gift wrapping paper. I tucked it under my arm and went up to the little room. My dad had put a few chairs, lamps, and a table up here for me. It was like my own little personal study area, like a library all to myself.

I sat at the table and opened the box. It was a laptop. I had wanted one for a while. I looked for a note as to who bought it for me. There was a piece for folded paper that had landed on the floor. It must have fallen out when I ripped the gift wrapping paper off. I picked it up.

Here is something that I thought might be useful.

It was signed by my mother. There was an address under it. My eyes grew wide. How had she gotten it here? How did she know where I lived? How had she gotten in my house?

My first thought was to call Seth and tell him she had been in my house, but then I remembered that I haven't talked to him for a while. He probably wouldn't care…

I looked back down at the address. Obviously she had given it to me for a reason. I grabbed my keys and raced outside. I would get to my homework later. Maybe if I was lucky I wouldn't have to go tomorrow, that would give me an extra day.

I drove in the direction that I thought was La Push. It wasn't hard to find. The hard part was finding the house. I couldn't just drive up to the driveway, I had to park and walk through the woods. It was strange how the directions told me how many paces to go in which direction; I guess she had mapped it out. Wasn't that helpful?

I was starting to rethink this situation when I didn't see anything up ahead. I decided I would walk another fifty yards before I went back home. I finally saw that the trees were starting thin. I could see the outline of a small house and hear the faint sound of water. I must be near a cliff or something. I stepped out of the trees.

The house was like any other small house. It was painted a dark green that blended in with the trees. If I wasn't looking for it, I probably would have missed it. The trees created a small opening just enough for the little house. I couldn't really say there was a yard. It reminded me of The Wizard of Oz and how Dorothy's house ended up in Munchkin Land. It was as if the house was dropped in the middle of the forest. I walked up to the front door. Before I could knock, the door swung open. I jumped back.

"Come in, Charlotte."

I hesitated before I slowly opened the door and walked in. The room was dark. There was barely any light, just the light that came in from the windows. I noticed that the whole front side of the wall by the door was glass, like a giant window, but it was tinted so darkly that I could barely make out the outlines of the trees.

"Sit down, make yourself comfortable. I take that you got my gift." I looked around, but I couldn't make out who was talking to me. I guessed it was my mother though.

I felt my way to what seemed like a chair. A light flicked on across the room. I had to blink in the sudden brightness.

"I forgot you were human. Is that better?"

She was standing against the far side of room leaning against the wall. She just stood there and stared at me. She had the same red hair I did. It was just as long as mine and just as curly. She had the same green eyes that I had. In fact, she looked just like I did, just an older version. At least I knew what I was going to look like in the future.

"Comfortable?" she asked. I nodded. "You look well."

I didn't feel well. I felt terrible and empty. I was so sad that I hadn't talked to Seth in weeks. I felt bad for ignoring him. Since I was already in La Push, maybe I could go talk to him. It would seem as good a time as any,

"I'm sorry." I looked up at her. "I'm sorry for ruining your birthday party. I just wanted to see you. I guess I should have done it a different way. Werewolves can be so vicious sometimes. All I wanted was to see you and then they attacked us. They were the ones that chose the hard way." She sat on the white couch across from me. Now that I looked around more, everything was white. Did all vampires have glass walls and white rooms? She continued speaking, "They are just rude creatures, but then again vampires can be the same way."

I was finally able to register what she said. She had to know about the werewolves and vampires, but she referred to my humanity.

"Are you…a vampire?" I asked. I did think she was, but something told me differently.

"Yes." I did feel a slight urge to stay away from her, just as I did with Rosalie.

"Your eyes are green," I pointed out. I remembered Seth had told me that vampire's eyes were either golden or red.

"They're just contacts." She blinked a few times and then her eyes were red, bloodshot red. "I didn't want to scare you. It seems like you know more than I give you credit for. How's your werewolf by the way? I hope he's not giving you any trouble."

So she knew about my imprint. She knew so much about me, yet I knew little of her.

"He's fine…I hope." She raised an eyebrow at me. "We haven't really been talking in a while." It felt awkward sitting here telling my dead mother, who I recently found out was actually alive, about my love life.

"I'm sorry about that too." It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. "I had Kayla and Andrew make sure he didn't tell you I was alive. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Some surprise. Just ruined a big part of my life," I muttered to myself.

"Sorry." I had forgotten that vampires had extraordinary hearing. I would have to keep that in mind.

"So why did you leave me your address?" The paces were way off.

She shrugged. "I just wanted to see you without your body guards. Werewolves smell awful." Seth smelled okay to me.

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. I just sat there.

"I'm guessing you want to find Seth. You might as well since you're already here."

"Oh, yeah, okay."

She stood and handed me a piece of paper. "Call me if you need anything." I stood and walked to the door. I was halfway to the trees when she called out to me. I turned to face her. "I know you might think this was awkward, but I really want to get to know you."

"I'll come back," I blurted out.

"This weekend? I don't want you to fall behind in school."

"Uh, sure."

She smiled and went back inside. I was starting to like her even if I've known her for only a few minutes. That was one load off my shoulders…now it was time to find Seth.


	25. Apologizing

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I started by calling his phone, but he didn't answer.<p>

"Hello?"

"Uh…Seth?"

"He's not here right now. This is Leah, his sister. Who is this?"

"It's Charlotte. I wanted to talk to him. Do you know where he is?"

There was a moment of silence before she said, "He doesn't want to talk to anyone, especially you," and then she hung up.

I stared at my phone. She did not just hang up on me! That was totally uncalled for! She didn't even ask him; she just assumed he didn't want to talk to me. I bet if she knew he came to my house almost every day she'd say something different. I wanted to talk to this chick and set things straight between us.

I asked for directions to the Clearwater's house before I made my way to my car. It wasn't far. I pulled up in the driveway. Their two-story house was painted white and had blue shutters. It wasn't big and overly beautiful, but it was still pretty in its own unique way.

I jumped out of my car as soon as the front door opened. Leah came down the steps towards me.

"You need to leave." She stood in front of me with her arms crossed. I was not going anywhere until I talked to him.

"You need to stay out of my business with Seth." I was not in the mood anymore. This day was becoming hell, and she was making it worse.

"He doesn't want to talk to you," she hissed.

"I'll believe that when he says it to my face. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to see him." I pushed past her, but she grabbed my arm.

"You're not going to see him. You've done enough damage." Who did she think she was telling me I can't see him? I was trying to apologize and make things right, but she wasn't going to let me.

"Let go of my arm," I said slowly.

"What are you going to do if I don't? Hit me? Ripe my heart out like you did to Seth's?"

I didn't reply to her comment. I saw three people come around from the other side of the house, but I didn't acknowledge them.

"Let go," I repeated.

"Like I'm scared of some weak human. You couldn't hurt me if you tried." She grinned.

I drew back my left arm and punched her in the face. There was a loud crunching sound. I instantly knew my hand was broken. I saw her fall back and hit the ground. Had I really punched her that hard?

She stared at me in disbelief and touched her nose. "You broke my nose?" She stood on her feet. "You broke my nose!" Blood was dripping onto the front of her shirt.

"That's not all I will break if you keep messing with me. I am not in the mood to start an argument with you."

She lunged for me. I was prepared to punch her again with my other hand but she stopped.

"What the hell are you two doing?" someone yelled. It was Jared. He had Leah around the waist. Embry was standing on the other side of her.

"What does it look like we're doing?" Leah screamed at him.

I took a step towards her, but arms wrapped around my waist, stopping me.

"Don't do it, Charlotte," a voice whispered in my ear. It was him. He was here. My heart sped up.

"Let me finish her!" Obviously Leah wasn't going to give up on this fight. "She shouldn't be here! She'll just make things worse!"

"If you had an imprint, you'd know what it would feel like to lose them!" I yelled back at her. I saw her face tense up. She was struggling in Jared's grasp, but he pulled her away before she could say anything back. Embry quickly followed. A second later, I heard growls coming from behind his house. I smiled to myself.

"Wow, you really got her mad." I jumped and the arms tightened. "What did you say to her?"

"I just wanted to see you and straighten this out." My voice was small. I didn't turn to look at him.

"Okay." His chin rested on my shoulder. I could feel the warmth of his skin radiating off him. I couldn't move. We haven't been this close in weeks, but I enjoyed every second of it just in case he didn't forgive me.

"I wanted to talk about us…and what happened on my birthday." He didn't say anything, so I continued. "I'm really sorry for being upset with you. I was in shock. How else was I supposed to deal with my mother being alive? I was so confused and hurt; I let my emotions get the best of me. I know I've hurt you and I am truly sorry." He still didn't say anything. "You don't have to forgive me. I just wanted to apologize." I shrugged out of his grasp. "I guess I better be leaving."

"Wait, you can't leave."

I glanced back at him. "Why?"

"We have to fix your hand."

I looked down to my broken hand. It was beginning to swell and turn purple. "Oh. Yeah, I should probably get this looked at."

"Come on." He opened the passenger's side door of my car. I got in without arguing. I couldn't drive with a broken hand anyway.

We drove silently out of La Push. I noticed we weren't going to the hospital but to the Cullen's house. He pulled into the driveway. Alice came bounding down the front steps.

"Hey, guys! Carlisle's waiting in the living room." She disappeared into the trees.

I made my way inside with Seth following behind. I sat across from Carlisle and held out my left hand. He gently examined it.

"It's not that bad. Only a few knuckles are broken." He straightened out my bones and began to apply the gauze and plaster. "It should heal in about six weeks, maybe a little longer." He quickly finished with the cast. "If it irritates you tomorrow, I'd advise you not to go to school. Try to keep it dry. The swelling will go down in a few days." He stood. "I think that's all you need to know. Come back in about six weeks." He smiled and disappeared. Everyone seemed like they were in a hurry today.

"Well, I guess I should be getting home." I turned to Seth.

"Uh, yeah." He stood and gestured towards the door.

We walked outside and got into my car. Seth drove again. A few minutes later we pulled up into my driveway. He turned off the car and faced me, making no movement that he was getting out and leaving. I looked out the window. My dad's truck was in the driveway.

"Charlotte?"

"Hmmm?"

I felt him shift towards me. I turned to look at him. He stared at me for a second, then kissed me. I was surprised for a second, but eventually, I kissed him back. He pulled me closer by the waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled back first and rested his forehead against mine.

"You were forgiven from the start." I smiled. "I'm sorry about Leah...and your hand. She can be a little two overprotective."

"It's fine. My hand will heal."

He looked towards the front door. "I think your dad is getting a little anxious."

I sighed. "Might as well hear what's going on." I reluctantly unwound myself from him and got out of the car. He followed. "I'll see you later, right?"

He laughed lightly. "Wild vampires couldn't keep me away." He turned and vanished through the trees.

I opened the door and walked to the stairs.

"Charlotte? Where have you been? I thought you would be here when you got home from school."

"I was out. I went to see my mother and Seth." I rushed on before he could say anything else. "I just want to finish my homework and go to sleep."

"What happened to your hand?"

"I punched Seth's sister." His eyes widened. "It's fine. Everything's fine." He nodded slowly. I took this as my chance to escape.

I decided not to do any homework. My hand was already throbbing and I was sure it would be worse in the morning. I changed into my pajamas and crashed on my bed. Even though it was barely 8:00, I was dead tired and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

><p>sorry about the long wait guys.<p> 


	26. Skipping School

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>As it turned out, I didn't go to school the next day. It gave me extra time to finish my homework. I was more than sure that I wouldn't be allowed to skip two days. I sat on the counter eating my plate of pancakes.<p>

"Charlotte! You're here!"

I spun around. It was Seth. "How did you get in my house?"

He held up a key. "Your dad thought it might come in handy."

"Figures."

He sat beside me. "What are you planning on doing today?"

"Homework." I hopped down from the counted and placed my plate in the sink, then started for my room, grabbing my stuff as I went. Seth followed. I went straight up to the hidden room.

"Who put this up here?" I asked. There was a desk with a printer and a giant chair in the corner.

"Your dad hooked it up for you." Seth sank into one of the other big chairs.

"My own little study area. Why is there a giant chair in here?" I asked.

"It's from me. I thought it would like nice in here."

"Uh, thanks." It was a dark cherry wood chair that was set off in the corner of the room. I climbed onto it and spread my stuff out. There was enough room for at least another two people. I wanted to get this homework over with. That would leave me with more time to spend with Seth.

"So how was your first day yesterday? Anything exciting happen?"

I shrugged. "It's just like any other high school. Drama. Annoying teachers. Preppy girls. And loads of homework."

"Sounds fun."

There was silence as I organized my things. First, the autobiography. It was the longest and I wanted to get it out of the way. I turned on the laptop.

"What are you working on first?"

"A two-page autobiography for Public Speaking."

"It's nice to be homeschooled."

"Don't you have homework or something?" I asked glancing up at him.

"Nope. That's the joy of not having to go to a public school. What all you taking?" I handed him my schedule. "Wow. These are some major classes. Good luck to you."

I nodded. We stayed quiet as class by class I finished my homework. Hours later I was done.

"Finally," I said.

I climbed down for the oversized chair and headed to the kitchen to make lunch. I'm sure my dad wasn't going to be home for lunch, I hadn't heard his truck pull up. I wondered how he spent his days.

I made enough sandwiches for the both of us. We sat on the couch with me curled up to his side. I missed this closeness. It felt right.

I must have dozed off, because when I came too my dad was home. He was sitting across from me. I sat up and looked around.

"Hey Dad." Seth was asleep with his arms wrapped halfway around me.

"I told you he'd forgive you."

"Yeah yeah." I stood. "I'm going to take a shower." I headed upstairs and showered and changed into shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt. I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail.

I packed all my books into a neat pile and placed them at the foot of my bed. I fell back and closed my eyes.

The edge of my bed creaked as someone sat down. I felt the heat creep towards me and knew instantly who it was. His fingers brushed a few wet strands from my face. I smiled. Soft lips touched mine and I sighed.

"I missed this." I opened my eyes and looked into his dark ones.

"Me too."

I sat up and wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face into his chest. "I've missed you so much. I am really sorry."

"I know." He placed his hands on my waist and pulled me closer, burying his face in my neck. I felt his warm breath and small kisses.

We stayed like that until his stomach growled.

"I just feed you a couple hours ago."

"A growing boy has to eat. What time is it?"

I looked at the clock on the wall. "4:30."

"I have to go meet Sam," he mumbled.

"Okay," I whispered.

He slowly pulled away from me and I was automatically cold. I loved his warmth. His eyes lingered on me a little too long.

"Damn you, Sam," he under his breath. I pretended I didn't hear it.

"Are you going to be back later?" I followed him downstairs.

"I don't know. I'll probably have to patrol."

"Okay." I stood in the doorway.

He pulled me closer and kissed me.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

For the first time I saw his truck. Nothing over the top, just a plain black truck. I closed the door as he pulled away.

"Did you tell him?" My dad was leaning against the wall.

"Tell him what?"

"That you went to see your mother."

"No..."

He sighed. "It's going to cause more trouble if you wait."

"I know. I'll tell him tomorrow; and if he has a problem with it, then he can come with me."

"I can't stop you from seeing your own mother, but please be careful."

"I will."

I sat in my room reading until it was time to go to bed. In two days I would go see my mother again. I wondered if Seth would come with me this time.


	27. Drifting

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I woke bright and early the next morning at five. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to get dressed. I was downstairs at 7:00 watching the morning news, there was nothing do to for the next twenty minutes.<p>

Dad came out of his room and stood across from me.

"What?" I asked. He was staring at me like I had done something wrong.

He held out the phone towards me. "Call him. You're not leaving until you do."

"Why?" I whined. "I promised I would call him, and I will. He's probably not even up this early." He pressed the phone into my hand. "Fine." I quickly dialed his number.

"Hello?" a groggry voice asked.

"Seth? Did I wake you?"

"No." There was creaking on the other side. "Well, yes, but it's fine."

"Okay." How was I supposed to bring it up?

"Charlotte what's wrong?"

I looked up into my dad's face. He nodded and walked out the front door. Another day of disappearing...

"Charlotte?"

"Uh, well, I―"

"Wait a few minutes. I'll be there a while." I heard things being thrown around. I couldn't let him come all the way out here for such a little thing.

"No. No. It's fine. You don't have to come out here."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I―I just wanted to tell you something. It's nothing huge, but my dad thought I should tell you anyway." I paused to see if he would say anything. "Yesterday, before I came to apologize, I went to see my mother."

A moment passed. "Did anyone go with you?" he asked.

"No. I just went after school. She bought me a laptop and I wanted to thank her. She didn't leave a number, only an address."

He sighed. "Please, tell me next time when you go see her."

"Why?"

"I can't let you wonder on your own in the woods. You need protection. I can't sit here worrying about if you're dead or alive. I'm sorry, but I don't trust your mother."

"I don't think she'd hurt me on purpose. She's my mother."

"I still don't trust her. She's a vampire! They are dangerous."

"And so are the Cullens. They haven't hurt me. The most they've done is welcomed and protected me." He sighed. "If you don't trust her, then you should at least trust me." I paused. "I'm going to see her again this weekend. If you're so worried, you can come, but I'm not breaking a promise to her."

"Charlotte―"

"I have to go. I'm going to be late for school." I hung up and placed the phone on the couch.

I sighed. Why did we always have to have a disagreement? Everything was just fine yesterday. He didn't have to know, but it might be better if he knew sooner than later.

I grabbed my keys and purse and headed for school.

* * *

><p>I couldn't concentrate. Everything had been going downhill ever since my birthday. If getting a year older meant all this, I would rather stay the same age forever.<p>

"Miss Duckling!"

I blinked and snapped to attention. Mr. Broads was standing over me.

"Yes?"

"Here is your paper." He dropped it on my desk and walked away.

My grade was at the top circled in red. 77. I sighed and stuffed the paper in my purse. At this point I really didn't care. I had other things to worry about.

I went throughout the day in a daze. I noticed Alice and Jasper did not show up. I'm sure there were other things they had to do as well. They had all the time in the world to go back to school. I'm sure they weren't in any hurry to graduate.

The next day went on in the same way—going through classes barely noticing anything important. Skye and Xavier left me to my thoughts. I was glad I didn't have to explain why I was feeling so down. I'm sure I would end up lying, like I did to Jessi and Carla.

Saturday finally came around. My mother and I hadn't really planned on a time that I should come, so I was planning to leave at around three. That should give enough time for the day to get started.

I sat on the swing in the backyard staring at the trees across from me. Something moved just inside the trees. I blinked and focused. It moved again. I slowly stood and made my way to the outskirts of the trees. It was growling. I squinted and leaned slightly forward. Its breath softly blew my hair aside. I turned to move away just as I saw it. The sandy-colored wall disappeared and stood in front of me. His warmth radiated towards me. My hands ran through his fur.

"You shouldn't be sneaking around, especially in broad daylight."

He let out a barking laugh.

"So I guess you're coming with me." He nodded. "I was hoping you would. She's not all that bad. Give her a chance."

His nostrils flared and he disappeared from beneath my fingers. He was back a few seconds later in his human form.

"I can't guarantee that I'll warm up to her," he said.

I shrugged. "It's a start."

We left a few minutes later.


	28. The Reason Why

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>"A few years after you were born I came across a couple of vampires. At the time I just thought they were lost humans. I gave them directions, and as I turned to leave, they attacked me. At some point, I suppose one bit me. I remember screaming for a few days. After the first week of blood-cravings, I knew had to leave."<p>

My mother was sitting across from Seth and me on the opposite couch. Seth was a little suspicious, but he was a little more relaxed after the first thirty minutes. I squeezed his hand to comfort him. He relaxed more into my side. I looked back up at my mother.

"Why did you decide to come here? To Forks?" I asked. She glanced between Seth and me. "What?"

"George grew up here...in La Push." She stared at me as if this would explain everything.

"So...you came back for the memories?" I asked.

She sighed. "I was his imprint."

Seth stiffened. I was confused for a brief second. "Was?"

She nodded. "After I became a vampire, it was clear that I wouldn't be able to return home to the both of you if I wanted to keep you alive. So I left and came here."

"You left without an explanation?" I asked.

"Yes, in a way. After all the chaos and searching died down, I wrote a letter explaining everything. We arranged a 'fake death'. It still wasn't me in the casket, just a look-a-like." She sat silently staring out the window at nothing in particular. This was all she had to say.

I looked at Seth. He was staring at her with a look of...admiration? I guess he had warmed up to her.

"How did Kayla and Andrew come into the picture?" he asked.

"I found them in an alley," she said still staring out the window. "They were homeless. I explained everything they were getting into if I changed them. Andrew fully agreed, but Kayla had to weight the options for a few moments. They're not as bad as you think."

"It's hard, isn't it?" Seth suddenly asked.

Arianna nodded. "Tremendously." She faced me. "I think you better be getting home. I don't want George to ground you. Come back anytime."

We stood and left without another word.

We were halfway to his house when I finally asked, "What exactly did you ask her?"

"She left her imprint. That's the hardest thing and biggest sacrifice I can ever imagine. It's not pain that fills you; it's the numbness. And to me, that's even worst than feeling any heartbreaking emotions."

"You like her now?" We stopped at my car.

"A little more. I still don't entirely trust her." I sighed. "Go eat and get some sleep." He kissed my forehead and went inside.

I drove silently home.

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

There was a knock at my door.

"What?" I asked. I was laying on my bed reading. I wasn't exactly sure as to what because I couldn't get into it. My mind kept going over yesterday.

A head poked through the open door. "You want to go to Emily's." I glanced up to see Seth leaning against the doorframe.

"Sure. I haven't seen her or the rest of the guys in a while. I'll be down in a few minutes."

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

(Seth's POV.)

It was around one when we showed up. Everyone was there and we exchanged hugs. Charlotte was strangely quiet as the rest of us talked and laughed. I asked her what was wrong, but she just waved the questions away every time. I'm sure everyone felt the tension between us and tried to ignore it the best they could. Eventually, we were the only ones left in the living room. It was their attempt of giving us some privacy. I pulled her into my lap. She rested her head against my shoulder.

"Charlotte?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's wrong with you? You seem a little distracted today."

"Oh. I was just thinking. About yesterday."

"About your mother?"

"Mostly. I feel like there's a hole inside me that's starting to fill up, you know? I finally found a missing part that I thought was gone forever, but now its back." She paused. "I want to see her again. There are a few questions I still want to ask."

She headed for the door before I could stop her. "I'll be back in maybe an hour."

"Hey, wait a second." I grabbed her hand. "No. You're staying here." I pulled her back inside the house.

"No, I'm not." She pulled her hand out of mine and glared at me. "I can go where I want when I please. I can take care of myself." She turned and left, slamming the door behind her. I stood staring after her.

"Seth, let her cool down for a while." Sam put his hand on my shoulder. "She'll understand eventually." He left and the others filed out one by one, each gave me a pat on the shoulder. Leah was the last to leave.

"Cheer up little brother. It's not the end of the world." It sure as hell felt like it.

I sank into the couch and threw my hands over my face. My imprint was upset with me, and there wasn't much I could do about it. I could not understand why she felt the need to go to her mother constantly. Then again, if I had a few more minutes with my dad, I'm sure I would take the opportunity. How did she not realize that if she got hurt, especially by her mother, that I would not forgive myself. Did she not realize how much I cared for her...how much I loved her?

It wasn't her fault entirely...it was her mother's. If she never became a vampire―never wanted to be a part of Charlotte's life―it would make things so much easier. We wouldn't have to worry about keeping Charlotte safe.

I jumped to my feet and punched the wall, leaving a massive hole.

"Damn it."

I needed time to myself. I'm sure the others were close enough that they could keep tabs on Charlotte. I wouldn't be gone that long anyway. An hour at the most. I headed towards the back door without bothering with shoes.

I hated feeling lost...

I hated blaming Arianna...

So many troubles came with the price of love...

•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•

(Charlotte's POV.)

I slammed the door and I stormed out. I wasn't necessarily mad at Seth. I was mad because everyone thought I needed protection, like a child. I couldn't even walk to my own mailbox without seeing one of them! How was I supposed to live with all of them watching me?

I sat on the edge of the woods, just far enough away to be alone, but close enough so they could find me. I didn't want to cause more trouble.

"So unfair."

"Don't beat yourself up about it." I looked up to see Leah coming towards me. "He just doesn't want to lose you."

I stared at her.

She sighed and sat across from me. "I know I've been a bitch and probably not the first person you want to see right now, but I know how much he cares for you." We sat in silence without looking at each other.

I knew he cared, but I was still a person. I didn't want people constantly worrying about me. I'm sure they had better things to do than babysit.

I sighed. "And that makes it harder for me to be upset with him."

She nodded.

There was a loud bang from the house. Leah looked over my shoulder.

"I think he punched a hole in the wall," she said. "Emily's not going to be happy."

I turned to see the back door opening then closing as he left. I groaned. It didn't help for me to think that I was the cause for his anger.

"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"But it is. I don't want to cause harm to anyone, but that's all I seem to be doing lately." I blinked back the tears. I felt her shift towards me. She embraced me awkwardly from the side. I guess she didn't really get close enough to people to actually hug them.

"He'll be back in a while. I promise."

I wrapped my arms around her waist. She stiffened then relaxed after a few seconds. "Thank you."

She pulled away and stood. "So do you want to sit out here and stare at nothing or do you want to get out of here." She tried to smile. I laughed.

"Let's get out of here." I stood and wiped away the few tears that fell from my eyes.

"Since we can't go too far, how about be head out to the seaside."

"Sounds good to me, but I didn't bring a bathing suit."

"You can use one of Seth's shirts over your undergarments." I nodded. She began walking towards her house. "Hey, Leah?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't mention it. I don't want the guys to think I've gone soft. I would never hear the end of it."

We both smiled.


	29. Scientific Experimentation

A/N: So after the last batch of uploads I received a review that said (paraphrasing) my fan fiction was too perfect, had no conflict so far, and was very predictable. Now that I'm editing and such, I can see why that was mentioned. Honestly, I kind of dislike this fan fiction because it is somewhat plot-less and very "lacking" so to speak. I have to keep in mind that I had starting writing this a few years back and have changed my writing style tremendously compared to this (at least from most of the chapters). The problem was, as I continued to write this, I got bored. It was too late to change much, and I just wanted to complete it. So yes, I agree that this is somewhat crappy, and I apologize. If I could start this whole thing over, I probably wouldn't have written it in the first place, or just discontinued it all together.

As for criticism goes, I don't mind whether it's positive or negative. I'd prefer negative as that ultimately tells me where I stand, what I need to work on, what's down right outrageous or brilliant, etc. So thanks to everyone who had reviewed so far. I appreciate it.

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>We stayed on the beach 'til sunset. Seth had calmed down, but he still was quiet. I called my dad telling him I would be spending the night at the Clearwaters' with Leah―Seth would most likely be patrolling. I felt kind of nervous being alone with Leah. I barely knew her, but I still trusted her somewhat. After the long afternoon at the beach, we didn't do much. We were too tired and were knocked out by eleven.<p>

I was up by noon. Leah had given me clothes to change into. I headed for the living room only to find it empty. As I walked around, I noticed the house was quiet. No one was here. Where was everyone? I waited for an hour for someone to show up, but no one ever did. I decided to take a walk to my mother's house. It wasn't far. I left a note on the front door just in case.

* * *

><p>"I have to do a few things." My mother was shuffling papers and running throughout the house. "I'll only be gone a few hours, but Kayla is here." At the mention of her name, Kayla appeared. "Stay as long as you want, but I don't want your wolf to come tearing down my house looking for you." She headed for the door.<p>

"I left a note. I haven't seen any of them today yet though."

She nodded. "Alright. Make yourself comfortable." She disappeared through the door.

I turned to face Kayla. She raised an eyebrow and leaned against the wall.

"So you're Charlotte." It was more of a statement, but I nodded anyway. "You're such a fragile human. I could kill you...but that would upset your mother." She shrugged. "Are you thirsty?"

She disappeared around the corner. There was noise coming from the kitchen. I sat on the couch. A few seconds later Kayla came back.

"Here. At least we can make this human stuff useful." She handed me a cup of hot chocolate. "I didn't poison it, so you're safe."

"Thanks." It instantly warmed my hands. I sipped it, staring at her. She stood against the far wall with her arms crossed staring right back at me. I didn't fully trust her. Something about her, besides the usual urge to stay away from a vampire, told me that I should be extra careful.

I wished Seth would hurry back. Even though I was supposed to be spending time with my mother, I got stuck with Kayla. I didn't see much wrong with her. It was just her presence that made me uncomfortable. I felt like she deeply hated me.

"I can sense your anxiety," she whispered loud enough for me to hear. "Are you afraid of me?"

"N-no," I stuttered. I cleared my throat. "No."

She sneered. In a way, she reminded of Rosalie, but I think Kayla was far more deadly.

"You know what I wonder?" Kayla asked. She walked towards me. "Why are you so important?"

"What?"

"Arianna has suddenly taken an interest in you after all these years." She cocked her head to the side. "She's never mentioned you until a few months ago."

I shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I don't know."

"Me either. You know, I've been wondering about something." She paused. "I wonder what would happen to a werewolf offspring if they had vampire venom in their bloodstream."

I blinked a couple times. What was she talking about?

"Would that person die or turn into a dangerous hybrid?"

"Uh, I'm not sure." Something in the pit of my stomach told me I needed to leave. Now. I stood suddenly. "Well, I guess I should leave and come back another time. I don't want you to waste your time." I edged for the door.

"But don't you want to have a little experimentation?"

I didn't answer. The hair on the back of my neck rose. Now I knew what she was getting at. My heart thudded against my ribcage. I'm sure she heard it.

"Come on, Charlotte. You don't have to be afraid. I won't hurt you."

I had opened the door a few inches only to have it slammed shut again. I could see her pale hand out of the corner of my eye.

"Let's have a little scientific research session."

Quicker than I could blink, she dug her fangs into the side of my arm. I screamed and tried to jerk back, but she held on tightly. I dropped to the ground a few seconds later surrounded by darkness.


	30. The Change

A/N: Sorry if you got two emails for chapter thirty. I had forgotten to put the lines. There were only two chapter uploaded today. 29 & 30. Only eight more to go.

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>A burning, itching, throbbing feeling started. I shifted trying to reach my arm. Nothing was there. I jerked up looking down at my arm. What was this feeling? Nothing was on my arm. It was as if the burning sensation was under my skin. It was starting to spread. I clawed at my skin, but it wasn't helping. I was starting to panic.<p>

I heard voices in the background. I only caught the last few lines though.

". . .yeah I kind of did."

"Kayla! Why did you bite her?" Arianna.

"I wanted to know what would happen."

Arianna growled. "Do you realize how much trouble this causes? This is dangerous. . .for everyone!" There was some shuffling and more growls. "Leave. Now." Arianna's voice was cold and deadly.

A door opened and closed. I heard a deep sigh and footsteps approaching. A hand settled on my arm and I jumped back.

"Charlotte? I know it hurts, but it'll be over soon. I'll stay beside you until it's over."

* * *

><p>{{Arianna's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>I arrived back home an hour after Charlotte came to visit. I could hear shuffling and screaming from the inside, but I assumed Andrew and Kayla were fighting again.<p>

They didn't seem to be getting along ever since they became creatures of the night. I could understand sibling bickering, but they seemed to be arguing more and more; it seemed even more frequent since Charlotte's birthday party. They thought it was unwise for a human to know about vampires. They had heard about the Volturi and didn't feel the need to upset them. I had assured them they were safe though.

As I walked up the front steps, I heard a thud. I opened the door and found Charlotte leaning against Kayla.

I stopped suddenly and blinked.

"Kayla. . .what's going on?"

"Scientific experimentation."

I looked at Charlotte. She seemed to be unconscious. As I closed the door I noticed the smell of blood.

"Kayla. . .did you bit her?" I asked slowly.

"I-well-yeah I kind of did."

"Kayla!" I screamed. "Why did you bite her?"

"I wanted to know what would happen."

I growled. "Do you realize how much trouble this causes? This is dangerous. . .for everyone!" I grabbed Charlotte from her arms and laid her in the couch. I growled at Kayla again as I spun around and through her against the wall leaving a noticeable dent. "Leave. Now." My voice voice was cold and deadly. I was sure Andrew would find her as well.

I saw Charlotte stir.

I sighed and went back to Charlotte. I place a hand on her arm and she jumpped back.

"Charlotte? I know it hurts but it'll be over soon. I'll stay beside you until it's over."

I carried her downstairs into the basement. She wouldn't be coming fully around for a while. It was better to place her somewhere where she wouldn't hurt herself.

I knew they would be coming to look for her in a while. I wasn't prepared for this. I didn't want to start a war. I was going to have to wing this as best as I could with as little complications as possible. It was going to be getting a little more tense around here.

* * *

><p>{{Seth's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>Something wasn't right. I could feel it as I headed home after patrolling late into the evening. I couldn't hear any footsteps and the pull I usually had for Charlotte was no longer there. At first I assumed she had taken off for school, but I realized her car was still parked in the driveway. I was startig to panic when I noticed a piece of paper taped to the front door.<p>

Seth,

I woke up too late to even try to make it to school. Leah was already gone when I woke up. I waited for an hour and no one showed up here so I went to my mother's house. I won't be gone long, maybe a couple hours.

Charlotte.

P.S. It's almost 1:30pm now.

I looked at my watch. It was almost 7:00 now. She had been gone for over five hours! I hadn't heard anything from anyone about her whereabouts either.

I groaned and ran for the line of trees. I phased quickly as I crossed the line, only stopping briefly to tie my shorts to my ankle. I told the pack what had happened. They all decided to meet me at Arianna's house.

'Don't do anything you might regret before we are all get there,' warned Sam.

'I can't make any promises,' I replied.

* * *

><p>{{Arianna's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>Three hours later I could hear their foot falls in the distance. Charlotte was still on the edge of conscious and wouldn't be coming around for a while.<p>

"Arianna!"

There he was. Her protective imprint. I was sad to realize his day wasn't going to get any better. I hoped he wouldn't be torn between killing her and loving her. It was already clear that he did love her; I figured that out the first time we met. But I was more than sure he hadn't told Charlotte yet. I wasn't exactly sure how she felt about him. I knew she loved him as well; she just hadn't admitted it to herself.

"Arianna!"

He was closer now. A few steps from the door. I raced upstairs and swung open the door.

"Don't you know it's rude to yell, especially in the presence of a vampire. What do you want?"

I noticed more of the wolves surrounded my house; some closer than others. Another one walked behind Seth in human form. I suppose this was the Alpha. Sam.

"Where is she?" Seth asked desperately. "What have you done to her?"

"She's here. And I haven't done anything to her."

I heavily emphasized 'I'. If he was going to lose his temper, it certainly wasn't going to be towards me.

"I don't like the sound of your tone." His eyes narrowed.

"The feeling is mutual."

I could tell he wanted to attack me. I could hear his heartbeat speeding up and see the slight shaking he was holding in. Sam shifted from foot to foot.

"Where's Charlotte?" he asked again.

"In the basement."

His eyes widened. "Why? Is she hurt?" He barged right past me into my house.

"I didn't invite you in."

He ignored my comment and glanced around. Sam stepped forward but didn't come in until I gestured him forward. At least this mutt had manners. Either that or he was highly uncomfortable to be so close to me.

"I don't bit," I said smiling slightly to show the points of my teeth; in turn, he flinched. Definitely uncomfortable.

"What happened in here?" His voice was deep and held a hint of authority.

"Just a little brawl." I would have to fix that dent.

"Over what exactly?"

"My daughter."

They both turned to gaze at me. I sighed it was better to let it all out, without cutting corners.

"She's been bitten."

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>I was vaguely aware of the time that passed. I heard the phone ring a couple times followed by long, heated arguments and several knocks at the door followed by yelling. I wondered what was happening above me. I was somewhere in a dark room. A cellar or basement was my guess. Every few hours I could feel someone down in the dark with me, although he or she never spoke or made any attempt of communication. I, on the other hand, was in too much pain to figure out who it was. I kept my mouth sealed shut, eyes closed, and sat very still. I was afraid that if I moved even and inch I would scream. The fact that I was able to stay still after hours on end frightened me. At first, I was sure my muscles would have a spasm from being folded together for so long, but they never did.<p>

* * *

><p>{{Seth's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>"What?" I yelled. "You bit her?"<p>

I was mad. More than mad. I was outraged. How could this have happened?

"No I did not bite her. It was Kayla. And before you go running around the world seeking revenge and killing unnecessarily, think about what you're doing," Arianna rushed. She didn't even bat an eye when I yelled. How could she be so calm about this?

"What do you mean?" It was Sam who spoke before I could start yelling profanities.

"She's not only human but part werewolf as well." She paused as if in thought. "There are three possibilities of outcome: One, the venom will be taken over by her werewolf genes in which she'll be fine. Two, the venom could not at all have an effect on her body, which is highly unlikely as of now since she is barely awake. And three, her body could start a war within itself. Gene vs. venom. I'm not sure she'll be okay, but there is a greater chance she will be."

I hoped she was too.

Arianna didn't think it was wise to see Charlotte. I was about to protest when Sam agreed.

"I don't want to put anyone at risk," he explained. He turned back to Arianna. "We'll be keeping close tabs until she comes around. You know how to find us if you need us."

She nodded.

"So we're leaving Charlotte here?" I asked in disbelief.

"Arianna knows what to expect. We can. . .rely on her for the time being. It's not going to make things any better or any less stressful with us around waiting for hours on end, especially with you."

"But you don't know—"

"I know exactly how it feels." His eyes darkened. "I felt the same way with Emily." His hand patted my shoulder. "You can stay close, but try not to do anything rash and try not to stress too much. I'm sure she'll be fine."

He disappeared out the door after giving Arianna a nod. I groaned before following Sam.

How could everyone be so calm when I was in turmoil? I'm sure this wasn't how it was supposed to be.

* * *

><p>{{George's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>I called Arianna as soon as Sam hung up.<p>

"She was bitten?" I exclaimed before she could even say a word. "Where were you when this happened?"

"I was out running errands," she responded. "I left her with Kayla. I didn't think anything serious would happen while I was gone."

"Well, you were wrong!" I let out a deep sigh and sank into the couch.

"She's alright though, right?"

I knew she would be if Arianna was there, but I was worried about the werewolf genes and vampire venom. It wasn't possible for them to exist together. One was going to have to give. And I dearly hoped it was the venom. I couldn't bear to think what would happen to Charlotte if it didn't.

"She's doing the best she can in these situations. She hasn't moved yet. Her heart still sounds strong. She might actually make it."

"Please, please do not talk as if she is dying. I don't want to imagine it."

"Well she could be, but it doesn't look like it."

I sighed.

"George it'll be okay," she said softly. I wanted it to be. "I'll keep you updated."

I ran my hand over my face and through my graying hair.

"Alright," I said. "So tell me what's happened so far."

* * *

><p>{{Arianna's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>I told him the same choices I told the others. He didn't seem much relieved about it. I omitted the option of the venom actually winning to both Seth and George, in which it could turn her into more of a hybrid or ultimately kill her.<p>

As the hours passed, the arguments, yelling, and phone calls increased. They thought me to be the expert. They wanted to know exactly when she would wake up, her progress, more options. . . I was not the one to know everything. Eventually my temper got the best of me and I told them to piss off. I could sense their impatience, but I was worried as well.

A few more hours passed before I actually heard any movement from below. It was then that I noticed the heartbeat. It didn't have to same continuous beat as before. It was slightly faster, but you would only notice if you listened close enough.

Another movement caught my attention. She was finally awake. And it only took. . .fifty-two hours; shorter than a vampires regular transformation.

I wasn't prepared for this. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect but I know what I felt the first day I calmed down from the screaming.

Unbearable thirst.

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>Sometime later, the pain starred to edge away. After about another hour, I felt that it was safe enough to move. My body didn't protest from being in such a cramped position as I expected.<p>

My eyes had adjusted to the darkness in a matter of seconds. Nothing was down here but me. Creaking above my head made me look up. A latch opened momentarily blinding me. A figure dropped down beside me and landed with a thud. Another followed. Whatever it was it was not good at landing.

"This will only hold you for a few hours but it'll be better than starving and going insane." It was Arianna again. I wanted to ask what exactly she was talking about and why I was down here, but she had already closed the latch before I could even blink. I heard a bolt slid into place as well. Why was I being locked in?

The two figures squirmed on the floor. I could hear their frantic heartbeats and muffled voices. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. As I took a deep breath to think things over, my nose was filled with a powerful scent that had my throat burning. What was it? I inhaled again. The scent was wonderful. I took a step forward allowing my nose to guide me. Instinctively, I opened my mouth and bit into the mouth-watering scent. Liquid ran over my tongue and down my throat. I sucked it dry. Another similar scent filled my nostrils, and I drained that too.

What was happening to me?

* * *

><p>{{Seth's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>It had been about a week; longer than I was expecting. Arianna called and told us that Charlotte was fully conscious again, only with a minor problem. She explained that she wanted to somewhat stabilize Charlotte before she reintroduced her to the world. I was so happy that I immediately headed for Arianna's house. I arrived just as Arianna was leaving.<p>

"Where is she?"

"Seth." Her face fell a little. "What are you doing here?"

I was confused why she asked but answered anyway. "To see Charlotte."

Her eyes drifted away.

"It might be a while until you can see her."

"Why? She's okay isn't she? You said only a minor complication. What was it?" I was curious and on edge.

"She—she has lost her memory somewhat."

"What does she remember?"

"Me, George. . ."

I waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"That's all?" Arianna nodded.

She couldn't have forgotten me. . .could she?

"Where is she now?"

Arianna hesitated before she answered. "She went to see George, but you can't—Seth! Wait just a minute! You have to realize . . ." Her voice faded away as we grew further apart.

I caught Charlotte's scent as I ran to the direction of her house. It was different, but I didn't focus too long on the thought. It led to the clearing just behind her house. I stopped and there she stood.

"Charlotte. . ."

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>I whipped around as I heard my name. There was a boy standing across the clearing from me. He looked both happy and surprised to see me. I sniffed the wind that came from behind him towards me to catch his scent. He was a threat. I instantly growled and crouched into a defensive position.<p>

I crouched ready to spring. My fingers dug into the ground, preparing to give me a boost if I needed it. He still stood there without even moving an inch. He wasn't afraid. Why?

A hiss escaped from my lips. His eyes widened and he took a hesitant step backwards. I smiled slightly. I was going to enjoy this.

* * *

><p>{{Arianna's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>I raced towards George's house.<p>

This was not good. He shouldn't see Charlotte yet. She could attack him. He was a werewolf which would alert her immediately. She might even kill him if it came to it.

I pulled out my phone as I ran. I knew I wouldn't be able to catch up to Seth. He was running on pure adrenaline and determination.

"George!" I yelled as soon as I heard him pick up. "Find Charlotte. Now. Seth's on his way. He wants to see her."

"What? Now?" He paused. I could hear a door opening and closing. He must have already reached the backyard. "This may not turn out well if they come face to face."

"I know," I said. "I know."

* * *

><p>{{Aro's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>So more 'vampire trouble' was arising from Forks, Washington? When would these vampires learn that it is best to keep under the radar? It seemed as if every time I heard news, it was about Forks.<p>

"Jane!" I called. She instantly appeared. "Send some guards, along with a few others, to Forks. There's another problem." She knew exactly who I was talking about.

"Yes, Aro," she replied before she bounded away.

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

* * *

><p>Years ago, while I was wondering outside as my dad sat on the back porch, I came across a skunk. At the time I was three and thought it to be an odd looking dog. I learned, however, as I picked it up that it wasn't. I had to spend the rest of my afternoon soaking in a tub of tomato juice. I could still smell its odor on my body as I went to bed that night.<p>

The scent of his blood reminded me of that skunk. It made my noise itch and my throat burn, but not in the way that I wanted his blood. All my instincts told me kill him, to kill this creature. His scent made no sense to me. I wanted his blood to run down my throat, to quench my thirst, to satisfy me, but it was wrong. The sweetness was masked by an unmistakable, horrible, bitter stench. I wanted to get rid of it. In another way, his scent was familiar. I couldn't place how I recognized it.

I blinked and there he stood. His face was etched with worry. I could feel his heartbeat. Each one pounded and sent a wave towards me. Should I take his life and suffer the taste of his blood, or ignore bloodlust and kill him from my instincts? Either way I would kill him.

I lunged at him, pushing my fingers into the ground to give me extra power. I landed on top of him with a thud. I was expecting that he would put up a fight, but he didn't.

"Why don't you fight back?" I growled. I gripped his arms tightly.

"Because I have no urge to fight you."

"My instincts tell me to kill you." I paused. He didn't reply. He just stared into my eyes. His eyes. . .they were as familiar to me as his scent.

His fingers found a way to my cheek. His warmth relaxed me. I let down my guard.

"Charlotte," he whispered.

Something was wrong. I jumped away from him. He stood, never taking his eyes off me.

"You know me?" I asked.

"Yes."

"How?" I looked over my shoulder as I heard a sound. My dad stood opposite us. My mother appeared next to him. They were staring intently at us. I saw my mother nod and walk slowly forward.

"Charlotte?"

His voice caught my attention again. I turned back to him. He held up his hands as a surrender. I was confused.

"Charlotte Alexandria Duckling, you are my imprint."

Imprint. . . Imprint. . . That word. . .

"Who are you?" He took a step forward as I took one back. I noticed that the footsteps were getting faster. "What do you want?"

He took another step forward. "Do you remember me?"

I shook my head as I took a step back.

"Charlotte, please, you have to remember."

"Stop saying my name. I don't know you. Leave me alone." I was starting to shake. Whoever this was, I felt a strong connection to him. I turned and fled. I heard light footsteps following. I knew it was my mother. She would keep following until I stopped. I just had to get away from that boy; he made me a bit uneasy. Why?

Her footsteps were speeding up until she was running beside me. I glanced at her. Her face showed no emotion. She veered to the left, and I followed.


	31. Understanding

{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>We ran for days on end, stopping every few hours so I could rest and occasionally eat. This would be the fifth day from leaving home. My dad had called often to make sure we were okay. I had also received messages from people named Skye and Xavier―both wondering where I had disappeared too. I received even more from a Seth. Almost every few hours he called and texted; his seemed the most worried, yet I refused to answer. I refused answer anyone.<p>

I waited within the forest as Arianna went in search of supplies. She refused to let me near anyone, at least for a while. I didn't think I was ready, and I didn't want to take a risk either. I waited for over three hours climbing and jumping from trees, each time I choose a little higher. I thought that at least a twenty foot drop would cause some serious damage, but I always managed to come out somewhat unharmed. It became harder every time I jumped. I already had unmanageable hair, ripped jeans, and dirt streaked my shirt from rolling across the ground upon repeated impacts. My arms and hands had smudges of dirt and scratches, and my shoes were beyond wearing, but I was having too much fun to stop.

"Charlotte?"

I looked down to see Arianna coming closer. "I'm up here," I called.

"How did you get way up there? Never mind. Come down here." She stopped at the foot of the tree. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and jumped from the forty-five foot branch. The ground came up fast yet slow. I landed off balance and flew forward and rolled until I came to an abrupt stop against her. I rolled onto my back and stared up at my mother. She was glaring down at me. "I was bored," I explained. She merely shook her head and pulled me to my feet.

"Please don't try anything reckless while I'm gone. We don't know the full extent of your condition, and I'd rather not find you dead somewhere. That would be a nightmare to tell everyone."

I simply nodded and gestured to the backpack she had in her hands. "What's that?"

"You're dinner." She dug out a paper bag and a bottle of water and handed it to me. The smell of blood immediately made my throat burn. I reached in the paper bag and pulled out three bags of blood.

"Did you rob a hospital?" I asked as I sank my teeth into the plastic bag. My throat was immediately soothed.

"There was a blood drive. I only took a few. It should hold you for a while." She unpacked as I continued to drain the bags. "And clothes."

I looked down at myself. My shirt was now splotched with blood. "Well I could use a change in shirt." I drank the last of the second bag and placed the empty bag back inside the paper one.

She gathered the clothes and my ruined shoes and began to walk away. "There's a lake not far ahead. We can clean up there." I followed slowly drinking from the last bag and sipping from the bottle of water.

I preferred human food, but I still craved blood, even if most of it was from hospitals, blood drives, and raw meat; what little blood there was from the meat helped. It took a lot more food than blood, and my throat was constantly burning, but I didn't want to harm anybody. I already regretted the first two murders, even though I didn't know what I was doing at the time―it was better to steal than to kill. Arianna had said I would have bloodlust for a while. Mine would be less intense than a full-fledged vampire, but still intense enough to cause some discomfort if I was surrounded constantly by humans.

We walked a mile until we came to the lake. Arianna separated the clothes and turned to me. "Don't wonder off too far. If you're not back in half an hour, I'll...ground you. Two weeks." Her face was serious, but still had a smile tugging at the edge of her lips. "Bring all your clothes back. We don't want to have a search after us." She disappeared down the bank.

I turned and stripped. I was ready to remove this filth from my body. I dove into the water only to come up quickly. The water was freezing!

"I should have warned you that we're in Wisconsin," came Arianna's voice from down the lake.

"It would have been useful," I mumbled with my teeth chattering. I submerged again and waited until I warmed up a bit. I swam around for at least twenty minutes before I decide to tackle my hair. It wasn't easy but I finally got it untangled.

Human. I suppose I could never call myself human again. Then again, I guess I wasn't human to begin with since my dad was a werewolf. So what did that make me now? One-third human, werewolf, and vampire? I admit that I did feel different, slightly stronger, better reflexes, better senses. Some hybrid I was.

Everything had changed so rapidly since I had surfaced from the blackness. Apparently, I had memory loss only to recognize my parents. Then I found out I had been turned into somewhat of a vampire. It was to my understanding that it was a miracle that I survived with the werewolf gene fighting against the vampire venom. Then there was that boy; the one who knew me and wasn't scared of my actions towards him. I had felt the strange connection towards him. My heart had raced, and I had felt safe near him even if it was a brief encounter. His warmth felt comfortable to me, and his eyes seemed familiar and loving. What was he to me? What was I to him? Imprint? What did it mean? I could ask Arianna, couldn't I?

I left the cold water to get dressed and find Arianna. She was leaning against a tree when I found her.

"What's an imprint?" I blurted out.

"A soul mate."

A simple answer with a lot of meaning. "So that boy...he said I was his imprint. Is that right?"

She gestured for me sit beside her. I did. "Yes." I was still curious―her one word answers were not helping. "You want to know the whole story, don't you?"

I nodded. "That would be very helpful."

I sat and listened for hours, asking the occasional questions when I became too confused. She had started somewhat at the beginning, brushing over the parts we had already covered with my dad― moving to Forks, finding out the secret to the whole werewolf history, meeting Seth and the Cullens―and focusing more on from my birthday party to now. It was hectic but made sense as more questions were answered. The only image I had of the Cullens was a large closet. I was still confused to that.

"So Seth...he knows everything?" She nodded. "It must have been hard on him. One minute I'm there, and the next I'm attacking him and running away."

"I'm sure he understands."

The problem wasn't whether he understood or not; I still felt guilty. How could I have forgotten my imprint, my soul mate? I would have been devastated if it was the other was around. I felt like I was in one of those cliché romances. I had to see him, even if I didn't remember him. I'm sure somewhere in my mind I did, because he did seem slightly familiar but more on the found-but-not-recognizable side, like an old picture. My memory was still a little hazy.

"I want to go back. I want to fix it."

"I was thinking about going back anyway. I didn't want to until you were sure."

"I'm sure."

We left as soon as we had covered up our presence. I had a strange feeling everything was going to be worse when we returned―much worse.


	32. The New Enemy

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>It didn't take as long to arrive back. I was happy to be back in my own room with my own bed and shower. It wasn't exactly comfortable sleeping in trees. At least here I didn't have to be disturbed and alert by every noise.<p>

No one was home when I opened the front door. Arianna had left when we entered Forks to check if Kayla and Andrew had come back. I wasn't sure if she was angry with them or not, but I was pretty sure they would be back. I'm sure my dad was somewhere close.

I made my way upstairs to my room. I wanted to take a shower then and sleep. I would figure out the rest later.

The water was hot and relaxing. I washed my hair and body until the water ran cold, the smell of lavender filled the bathroom. I emerged from the shower and wrapped myself in a fluffy blue towel. Now I could sleep.

I screamed as I saw a guy sitting on my bed. "Wh-what are you doing in here?" I quickly shut the door.

He heard him stumble across the room. "I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if you were really back. I didn't mean to—"

"Get out so I can change!"

I heard my bedroom door close. I waited a few more seconds before I peered back in my room. I could still hear him downstairs. I ran across the room and locked the door. What was I supposed to do?

I quickly changed and cautiously headed downstairs. There was noise coming from the kitchen along with the smell of pasta sauce. My stomach gave a loud rumble.

"Are you hungry?" The same guy poked his head out of the kitchen as stepped into the living room. I stared at him confused. "I'm Seth." The mere mention of his name made my heart jump.

"What are you doing in my house?" I asked as I stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

He turned his back to me as he continued to cook. "Your parents asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Where are they?"

"Just out taking care of some things." He gestured to the table as he pulled two plates out of the cupboard. "It's nothing you have to worry about." He set the two plates of spaghetti down on the table pushing one towards me and sat down across from me. "How was your trip?"

"I don't think you should be here," I stated looking him directly in the eye.

"Your parents trust me enough."

"I don't."

He only shrugged and started to eat. I stared at the plate before me. This was my imprint. My soul mate.

I shouldn't be afraid of him, but I was. I didn't fully trust him, but . . . .

"I promise it's not poisonous." I still didn't trust the food he had prepared. My instincts still told me to kill him; and after I attacked him earlier, I wouldn't put it past him to try to get ride of me either.

He sighed before taking a forkful off my plate and eating it. "See? Not harmful." He stood with his empty plate. "It's one of the only things I know how to make, so I'm not going to poison it seeing as I'm eating it as well." He sat down again with another plateful and stared at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"If you don't eat, I'll force feed you."

My eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious."

"You want to take a chance?"

His eyes were unwavering but still held a playful to them. Was he serious? He made to get up. He was.

"Alright!" He stopped midway. "I can feed myself."

His mouth turned up slightly into a smile. I ate a small bit and found it to be quite good. My stomach let out a low rumble as I ate more causing me to blush and Seth to chuckle. We ate in silence until I had finished off my second plate.

"It's mid-afternoon," Seth stated. "What would you like to do?"

My first option was to sleep, but I knew I would be restless with him here.

"Can I ask a question?" He nodded. "What was I to you? You know . . . before all this memory loss happened."

"I'm not exactly sure." I frowned. "We were really good friends." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Close to dating I'd say."

"I'm sorry. It must be kind of awkward for you." He gathered his plate and stood, walking to my side to get mine.

"A little." Before I could react, he had leaned in and kissed my cheek. I instantly blushed again as it sent tingles down my spine. "But I'm okay with it." He placed the plates in the sink.

We turned towards the front door as it banged open.

"Charlotte?" I ran to see Arianna looking around with wide eyes and a worried expression. "Oh good you're here," she sighed and leaned against the doorframe.

My dad appeared behind her. "Where's Seth?" he asked.

I felt Seth come and stand behind me. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"The Volturi." I felt Seth stiffen. "They're here."

"And they're after Charlotte."


	33. Reunion

{{Seth's POV}}

* * *

><p>From Charlotte's blank expression, I could tell she didn't have a clue as to who exactly the Volturi were. Unfortunately, I did, which put me in protection mood.<p>

"Where are they now?" I asked. "What should we do?" I pulled Charlotte closer to me. I felt her stiffen. She didn't pull away neither did she relax. I suppose she was trying to accept all this for me and herself.

"We can't put her in hiding. They already know about her. It would be pointless," George rambled as he paced the small hallway.

"She'll need more protection. That's our best option." Arianna stood still. She looked at me. "Do you think the others would mind helping?"

I shook my head. "I'm sure they'll be more than willing to help. She can stay with us for the time being."

George nodded. "I think that would be the best option. I'm sure they'll follow her scent here. If it's mixed with the werewolves scent, it could give us more time."

"We'll leave immediately." I pulled Charlotte after me up the steps.

"Wait a second. What's going on? Who are the Volutri?" I could hear the fear in her voice.

"People you don't want to be involved with." I left her standing in the middle of her room and went to her closet and grabbed one of her small suitcases. I sat I open in the bed. I pointed to it. "Pack quickly. I don't know when you'll be able to come back." I pulled out my cell phone. "I'll be right outside your door." I left to call Sam and the others.

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

Seth drove my car quickly. Apparently, I would be staying with him for a couple of days, or at least until these Volturi people went away. He still wouldn't tell me who they were. They had to be a serious threat if everyone was tense.

The whole time he drove, he was on the phone. He was spreading it around that the Volturi were after me. Each person he talked to agreed they would help. Why would they risk their lives for me?

"Everything's going to be fine." Seth placed his hand in my leg as he hung up. "Don't worry about anything."

"How can so many of you risk your lives for me?"

"Because you're part of the pack now. And you're my imprint. I would protect you with my life. Always."

I was confused. "There are more of you? I mean more...werewolves?"

He nodded. "Plenty of us to protect you." He stopped my car outside a house. I suppose this is where he lived. He quickly got out and grabbed my suitcase with me following. A girl, who was maybe a little older than Seth, opened the door to let us in.

"Charlotte, this is Leah, my older sister. You'll be staying in her room for a while." He turned to Leah. "I'll back in a few hours." He placed his hands on my shoulders. "Call me if you need anything." He placed a kiss on my forehead before he left out the door.

"He's very protective of you," Leah said. She picked up my suitcase and turned down the hall gesturing for me to follow. "Are you hungry? I could make you something. No one is going to be home for a while."

"Uh, no. I'm fine. Seth made some pasta earlier." She nodded.

"This is my room." She opened a door. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." She set my suitcase down on a bed. It must have been brought here because it looked out of place in the already crowded room. "I think all of us are meeting to go to a bonfire later."

"Okay." She smiled gently as she left. A few seconds later, I could hear movement from down the hallway. How could she be so calm when everything else seemed in total chaos?

I made my way to the extra bed. Sheets and a comforter were folded at the edge. There was nothing else to do, so I started to make the bed. I placed my suitcase under it to keep it out of the way.

I sat on the bed looking around. Leah's room was simple. The light green and blue stripped walls matched her bedding. There was a small, short bookshelf against one of the walls with a television and DVD player on top. One door, which I assumed was a closet, was across from the bed next to a window. Another wall was lined with a dresser, a full length mirror, and desk that looked like it was pushed there to make room for my bed. Her room was clean and organized.

"Charlotte?"

"Yeah?" I asked as I made my way to the door. Leah was standing at the front door with a large picnic basket in her arms.

"I'm taking this to Emily's. Will you be okay here by yourself?"

"Leah, I'm eighteen. I'm sure I can handle a few minutes alone."

"I know. It's just―I don't want to leave you here when no one's here to protect you."

"I promise I'll be fine."

She handed me a cell phone. "Here's my phone. Seth's and Emily's number are in there just in case you need something. I shouldn't be gone long. It's only about a twenty minute walk from here. Lock the door when I leave. Anyone who comes in will have a key."

"Thanks." I closed and locked the door as she left.

I wondered around the house. There was a bathroom at the end of the hall, another bedroom that looked liked their parents room, and the last bedroom which looked like Seth's room.

His room was decorated in forest green and dark grey. It was a little messy with a few shirts and pants on the floor, but I expected this from a guy's room. His bed was against one wall with a closet, two windows and a desk were against the other wall, a wide dresser to another, and a stereo system with a shelf of CDs and a few books along the last one.

I turned on the stereo system. A bass sound with low voices filled the room. The volume was turned down, so it was hard to hear the words. I grabbed a random book at sat on his bed. His scent wrapped around me. I felt calm. It was nice and peaceful.

* * *

><p>I jerked upright. There was noise coming from the hallway. It sounded like someone was trying to get through the front door. The racket stopped a few seconds later. A shadow passed before the windows. My instincts went on alert. It was dark outside so I couldn't see whoever it was clearly. Thankfully, I hadn't turned the light on, so whoever it was couldn't see me either.<p>

The window started to shift and rise slowly. I climbed off the bed and crouched ready to attack. A large body climbed through the window and stood.

"Damn it. Where is he?" The voice was deep. It wasn't Seth. I had never heard this voice before. Their presence sent a warning pang through my body. Whoever he was, he was a threat.

I crouched lower and growled.

"Who's in here?"

I growled again before I launched myself at the figure. He grunted as I slammed into him and we fell into the wall.

"What the hell?" The figure pinned me against the floor. "Who are you, and what are you doing in the Clearwaters' house?" I snapped at his neck and pushed him away. He hit the opposite wall as the light came on.

"What's going on in here?" Someone wrapped their arms around my waist as I prepared to jump again. "Charlotte, calm down!" It was Seth. I stilled but remained tense.

Another person stood between me, Seth, and the intruder that leaned against the wall.

"Jared! What the hell are you doing?"

"I came to get Seth, but the door was locked," the intruder, Jared, said. "I climbed through his window," his eyes fell on me, "and she attacked me."

Seth sighed. "I told you she would be here. You probably just scared her." He pulled me closer as I slowly relaxed into him.

"She didn't seem scared to me." Jared stood and stretched causing a few bones to crack. There was a small dent in the wall. "I should be the one that's scared. She slammed into me pretty hard."

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I just reacted on my instincts."

"It's fine. I should have probably knocked. Or at least called for Seth." He held out his hand. "I'm Jared. We meet before, but I don't think you remember me."

"Charlotte. Again, I'm sorry." I shook his hand.

"Now that apologizes are exchanged, can we get to the bonfire?" the other guy said. "I'm getting really hungry." He walked out.

"And that's Paul. Excuse his rudeness. He's always like that unless he's with Rachel." Jared must have noticed my confused expression because he rushed on. "You'll meet the others later. I keep forgetting you don't remember anything." He followed Paul.

"We better get going too," Seth said. "I don't want Emily to think we skipped out." He held my hand as we walked out.

"Sorry about the dent. I'll fix it."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Then I remembered that Leah wasn't here. "What happened to Leah? She said she was taking something to Emily's, and said she would be back but she never came."

"I know. She called me from Emily's house." We started to walk after Paul and Jared. "I was heading back here when she called. I'm glad I came in time. Otherwise you and Jared would have probably killed each other."

"He scared me," I mumbled. Seth just chuckled.

* * *

><p>The bonfire seemed more of a do-you-remember-me party. Everyone kept giving me pity looks. It was depressing. I felt bad that everyone had to go out of their way to make me feel welcome...again.<p>

I ended up falling asleep against Seth as the hours passed well after midnight. The sun was breaking through the horizon when I finally stumbled into Leah's room to my bed with Seth's help.

"Leah?" Leah wasn't back yet. She had left right before I fell asleep.

"She's a werewolf. I'm sure she's fine." He pulled off my shoes and helped me settle in.

"What about school?" I asked Seth as he was about to shut the door.

"We told them you had pneumonia. We have to make sure everything is stable before you can be out and about again." I nodded. "Sleep as long as you want." The door closed. I rolled over and snuggled deeper into the sheets.


	34. Going Hunting

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I woke the next morning with a burning throat. I groaned as I rolled out of bed. I noticed another body in the bed next to mine. I guess I had slept through Leah's arrival. I made my way to the bathroom then the kitchen. Seth was sitting at the table when I walked in. I sat across from him and pressed my forehead against the cool wood.<p>

"Hey," he greeted.

I grunted in reply.

He chuckled as he stood. "What are you doing up s early?"

"Early? It's nearly noon." I lifted my head to look out the window. My eyes flickered to him. "What's wrong?" There was a frown on his face.

"They're closer than we thought." I raised an eyebrow. "The Volturi?"

"Oh." What was I supposed to say? I didn't know who they were or how powerful―although if I had to guess, I would say pretty damn powerful if everyone cringed at the name 'Volturi'. "So . . . now what?"

"You stay here, within the boundary of La Push. Don't go anywhere unless you're with one of us."

"Okay."

I noticed I was a little too calm with the whole situation. Someone was after me, and here I was acting all calm and unaffected. In truth, the thought of these people terrified me. I didn't want to be hunted down like some rabid, wild animal. Is that what they saw me as? I didn't think I was a threat, but to these people apparently I was.

"Who are they exactly?" I asked after a few moments of silence. "What do they want with me?"

Seth sighed. "They are like the government of the vampires. No vampire wants to upset them, unless they want to die. They're horrible monsters that use fear and force as their greatest weapons." Something in his eyes told me that he had experienced this on a first-hand account.

"Twice, the Cullens ran into some trouble with them. One, a few years back because of an uprising with vampires newborns. Then another a little more recent because of Renesmee. We ended up helping because Jacob had imprinted on her."

"They're someone to be feared?"

He nodded. "This would make a third time. I don't think this will be one of those 'check-up' situations. But then again, their second visit was only thanks to Alice." He sighed again and ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know what to do."

I felt guilty. Everyone was stressing and being anxious due my turn of life events. They didn't deserve this. Especially not Seth.

"What can I do to help?"

"Stay safe."

I groaned. "I guess this would be a bad time to say I need to go hunting." I frowned as the burn began to worsen. "Immediately."

He nodded as he glanced over my face. "I'll call in a few of the guys while you get ready."

I showered and dressed in dark blue jean shorts and a white tank top with a short grey jacket. When I finished I made my way to the living room. Jared, Paul, and Jacob stood in a circle around Seth. They stopped talking as I walked in. by the looks on their faces, I knew they were discussing the Volturi. That's all anybody seemed to be talking about today.

We made our way out to the house and to the line of trees. I turned away from them as they shed their clothing and transformed. I felt a head press against my back when the grunts had settled down. I looked over my shoulder to find a sandy wolf looking down at me. Seth. He nodded forward and trotted off. As soon as I started to follow we began to run. I felt the others surround me as we took off.

* * *

><p>{{Jane's POV}}<p>

I don't understand why we didn't just get rid of them in the beginning. I knew those werewolves would turn out to be a problem. Now I had to sacrifice a week to come to Forks and investigate. It wasn't even the Cullens this time, although I bet they had some knowledge of it. I wasn't even sure what I was looking for. All I smelled was dog around these areas.

"Jane?"

"What?" I snapped. I was truly aggravated. All I wanted was a nice week-long break, but here I was, working.

"We haven't run into any of the Cullens. It seems as if they left for a vacation."

I highly doubted that. I vaguely remembered that one of them could see the future. Maybe that one saw our arrival and warned the others to leave. I smiled to myself. Not bad.

"Anything else?" I questioned as I sat perched on a tree branch.

"Well, we found a new scent. It was mixed with the others. We also ran across a carcass along the way. It was ripped to shreds . . . and drained of blood."

My eyes widened slightly. "Show me."

I followed the guard. The carcass was more than shredded. It was destroyed. It looked like someone had played tug of war. I bent to feel the warmth of its body. It was still slightly warm; no more than a couple hours. I sniffed the animal. The scent was something peculiar. There was an underlining of vampire but also the scent of a human. The smell of dog heavily saturated the surrounding the area as well.

I frowned in confusion. It was with the werewolves? But the carcass . . . it was drained. It had to be some type of vampire. This didn't make sense . . . .

"Gather the rest of the guards." I stood and scanned the area. "We're going on a little hunt."

* * *

><p>{{Charlotte's POV}}<p>

I leaned into Seth as Jared, Jacob, and Paul wrestled around us. I watched as each wolf tackled each other to try to gain the upper hand.

"Why don't you go join them?" I asked Seth. "It can't be fun just sitting here with me." Seth let out a snort that sounded like laughter and shook his head. "Suit yourself." I leaned more into his side, placing my chin on his shoulder.

He didn't seem to mind that I had blood and dirt streaked across my clothing, and that some of it rubbed off on him. I really needed to learn not to make a mess, or rather "play with my food" when I hunted. My instincts just took over, and I usually didn't notice the extent of the mess until I came back from my scenes. Seth had to drag me away this time. I was more than sure that anyone who came across it would wonder what really happened. But we were miles away now.

I was starting to drift off to sleep when Seth's ears twitched and perked up. His head snapped up causing me to fall face-first into the ground.

"What? What's happening?" I asked as I looked franticly around. I noticed the others had stopped fighting and were now standing rigid. Something wasn't right. I could feel the tension in the air.

Seth stood on his feet in front of me, blocking me from whatever potential threat he detected. I strained my ears for a sound. I heard distant footfalls—multiple pairs—coming towards us . . . maybe five miles off.

"Seth . . . " I gripped his fur, tugging slightly to get his attention. He turned his head slightly in my direction without averting his eyes; I guess this was as much acknowledgement as I was going to get in this situation. "Who's coming? Who is it?" He merely shook his head and growled. Someone behind us let out a howl.

The footfalls were closer-a lot closer. Whoever these people were-they weren't human. Their speed was incredible. Faster than mine for sure, maybe even faster than the werewolves. Is this why we weren't leaving? Was the threat so big that if we couldn't outrun them then . . . .

I didn't want to finish that thought.

More growls ripped through the air. I looked around to see the others surrounding me. What was going on?

Every one of them stiffened as the footfalls slowed to a walk about fifty feet away. Seth took a step back, taking me with him as I still held onto him.

"So it's true. There is a more trouble in Forks, or rather La Push." The voice was angelic with a slight edge and hardness. "Typical of you werewolves to be responsible, always causing trouble."

A sweet scent washed towards me as a breeze swirled through the trees. The scent made my nose itch to an uncomfortable degree causing me to sneeze. What was this scent? I sneezed again.

"It seems we are not the only ones here," the voice said. I heard Seth growl and snap as footsteps approached. "Relax, dog. I'm not going to hurt her. She's the reason we're here. I'd advise you not to interfere." Seth growled again and took a step forward where he paused and collapsed onto the ground, emitting howls and yelps that ripped a gash through my whole being. I watched in horror as he squirmed and made deafening noises of pain.

I sank to my knees beside him. "Seth? Seth! What's wrong? What's happened?"

I glanced around to see the others either staring at Seth or growling across from them. My eyes landed on the people in front of us. The one closest to us, a girl, was staring down at Seth with a mischievous grin plastered her face. Her eyes locked with mine. I noticed that Seth was no longer making any noises. I took a glance at him too see him sprawled out on the ground breathing heavily and glaring at the girl across from us.

"Maybe that will teach you to not interfere with business. Maybe that will teach all of you."

My eyes widened as I put two and two together. She was the one who cause his pain! But . . . how? She hadn't touched him, yet he looked like he was in undeniable pain.

"What did you do?" I asked her as I shifted closer to Seth.

"Shouldn't the question be 'who am I'?"

Before I could blink I was away from Seth and seized by strong arms. A yelp of pain filled the air. I saw the others pinned down to the ground and struggling to escape from the many figures that held them down.

What the hell was happening?

"Now that I have your full attention," the girl stepped in my line of sight blocking Seth from my view, "there's a matter which I must evaluate." She stepped closer and sniffed. "You have three scents coming from you. Werewolf, vampire, and human. In a way, that shouldn't be possible. You are seen as a threat to the vampire nation according to the Volturi. What do you think should happen now?"

Her question was asked directly at me. I didn't know what she expected me to say. I knew the Volutri were to be feared, at least that's what I'd always heard. And they saw me as a threat; that definitely didn't seem like a good road to be on. What were my options? None. I didn't know what this girl meant as she asked me what I thought should happen now.

She arched an eyebrow at my obviously confused face.

"No idea? How about I give you one . . . ." Her lips curled into a smile, one full of satisfaction.

A wave of pain ripped through my body as I fell to the ground. I could hear snarls and crashing distantly in my ears as my screams took over. My eyes squeezed shut and my body locked up. My heartbeat increased and my vision went black. After a few seconds that felt like hours, the pain stopped. I laid on the ground breathing heavily unable to move.

Strong arms lifted me and began to run. I knew I was safe as the arms felt unnaturally warm. It had to be one of the guys carrying me. I felt the wind ripping my hair across my face. I was too tired to open my eyes. Whatever had caused me pain had taken all my strength. I felt the arms tighten around me as I tired to move.

"Don't," a voice said. "You'll only hurt yourself more. Just rest."

I let myself relax against the warm arms. I vaguely heard snapping and growling from behind me. What was happening? Where was Seth? Was he alright?

My thoughts wondered as my body started to relax more into darkness. My body was numb as I fought to stay conscious.

"Don't fight it," the voice said.

I listened as my body protested when I tried to move again. But I had to ask.

"Seth?" I heard myself whisper in a hoarse tone.

"He's fine. He's coming. Don't worry. Rest. That's what you need to do right. Now."

I was completely drained. I wanted nothing more than to sleep, but I wanted Seth by my side. But I trusted the voice as I went under, no longer able to keep the darkness at bay.

* * *

><p>(AN): So after this there are three chapters left. I might upload them on the weekend, but that's not a promise. I would have uploaded sooner, but I've been writing papers non-stop. After this week, I think I have all this major school stuff out of the way. These finals are going to kill me. Sooooo ready for summer and Graduation! Senior week is going to be a blast! So ready for this to be over. So yeah, enough rambling. Hope you guys enjoy and have a great week! :)


	35. The Unexpected

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>I sat bolt upright in a darkened room as I awoke only to collapse back down. My head was pounding, and my body was aching all over. I was breathing hard as yesterday's events came back to me. That girl . . . who was she? What did she do to me? What happened to everyone else?<p>

I groaned as I rolled out of a bed. My feet hit the floor, and I stumbled against the wall to find a light switch. Instead, I found a doorknob. I squinted and blinked as the bright light hit my eyes. The room lite up behind me to reveal the inside of my room. Wasn't I supposed to be taking shelter at Seth's house? I stepped out into the hallway and leaned on the wall slowly sliding down.

"You shouldn't be up, you know," a voice said off to my right. It was the same voice I heard last night. Arms lifted me up to steady me on my feet.

"Thanks," I breathed. I looked up to see blonde hair and dark gold eyes—they looked almost orange. "You look oddly familiar."

The guy merely chuckled. "Just because I have new eyes and a more handsome face doesn't mean should forget me. Although, you did have a case of amnesia."

I furrowed my brow in confusion.

"I'm Drake, Charlotte."

Drake. Drake. That name rang a bell but—Drake!

I gasped as realization hit me. Before he could make a move to go anywhere, I reared back my right fist and punched him square in the nose.

"Damn it! What the hell!" he yelled as he fell back and toppled over the railing, landing with a thud on the living room floor below. Huh, it really pays off to be stronger.

I stumbled back into my room to search for my phone. I only had a few seconds before he was back. I found my phone on my bed side table.

"Charlotte!"

There was only one way out now. I opened the window and jumped without a second thought. I landed unbalanced crouched on my hands and knees. I looked up to see Drake standing at the window.

"Charlotte, wait a second! Let me explain!"

I sprinted to the line of trees, desperate to get away. Where the hell was Seth? How could he leave me with him?

My eyes started to tear as emotions ran through my body. I was confused and scared. Confused as to where everyone was, and why I was left with that monster. Scared because Seth wasn't there, thinking something terrible had happened to him, and because this vampire was chasing me through a pitch black forest. At least I wasn't human, or I wouldn't have made it the first few feet.

"Charlotte! Stop! Please!" His voice echoed from every direction.

I picked up my pace. I wiped furiously at my tears. Crying right now would only slow me down. I couldn't afford to be caught. I was running for my life and deathly scared. I jumped at every shadow and movement. My breathing was becoming heavy and my body still ached, but was gradually becoming worse. My body was telling me I needed to stop, but I couldn't. I was being driven by fear and adrenaline.

Something inside me was begging to be let out. Whether it was for the better or worse, I couldn't tell. The more I tried to hold it in the harder it became. I could tell I was starting to slow down. Damn this aching!

And then something exploded inside me forcing me to stop. A low growl escaped from my lips as pain filled my body. I took in a few gulps of air before I opened my eyes. Somehow my senses were sharper. I listened to my surroundings hoping to hear if I out ran my pursuer. I twig snapped a few yards off. I whipped my head in that direction and saw two glowing golden eyes staring at me. I growled as I took off running again. The pain was no longer there, helping me to could focus more.

The footsteps behind me were coming fast, but suddenly stopped. I glanced over my shoulder to see Drake glaring at me. He was pacing in a straight line. There was something keeping him from coming any further. I skidded to a halt and faced him.

Howls ripped through the air. Three werewolves appeared behind me and walked forward. I sighed with relief. I saw Drake disappear.

_Charlotte?_ a voice whispered through my head. I blinked and looked around. _I don't understand.  
><em>  
>I looked to my left to see a sandy-colored werewolf staring at me with wide eyes. Seth? What was he doing way out here?<p>

_It is you, Charlotte.  
><em>  
>I opened my mouth to say something, but the only sound that came out was a whimper that didn't sound human at all.<p>

_Sam . . .  
><em>  
><em>I know. Charlotte, come with us. We have much to discuss.<br>_  
>I stayed rooted to the spot. Something nudged my shoulder. I stared into dark orbs.<p>

_Charlotte.  
><em>  
>Something wasn't right. In Seth's werewolf form, I shouldn't even be able to see almost eye to eye with him. But . . . now I could.<p>

I yelped as a jaw clamped onto my tail. I spun around to see a dark russet wolf. _Jacob?_

_Come on. We don't have all day.  
><em>  
>Jacob turned and trotted off following the giant black werewolf, Sam. Seth nudged me forward from behind. It occurred to me as I followed them that I had had my tail bitten. So with that, and the realization that I could see eye-to-eye with them, and the fact that my voice did not sound the least bit human . . . did it mean I was a werewolf?<p> 


	36. Realization

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p><em>Stay here<em>, Seth said as we stopped a few yards away from the edge of the line of trees. I could see a house through the branches a few yards off. I vaguely recognized it as Emily's. The other werewolves shifted before me. I immediately turned my gaze to the ground. They could have at least given a warning.

I waited impatiently in the forest. I had now come to terms with the fact that I did turn into a werewolf. I realized a huge difference though. I was somewhat smaller and shorter than the others. At first, I thought it was a "female" idea. However, I was more than sure Leah wasn't as small and short as I was. She had to have been the same height as the others; although she could have been a little smaller than the guys, but that was to be naturally expected as we didn't have all the extra muscle weight. I was more the size of a "slightly larger wild wolf" compared to their "slightly bigger than a full grown bear" look.

I heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Seth and Emily, with a bundle of clothing, coming towards my hiding place.

"Charlotte?" Emily asked. I blinked and took a step back. "I know you're confused and have many question, but that can wait for a little while. Right now, we need you to shift back."

I looked at Seth for confirmation. He nodded.

"Just think of something peaceful."

I nodded. I was about to close my eyes and concentrate when I remembered I would be naked when I shifted back. I gazed pointedly at them.

"She wants us to turn around," Emily voiced my thoughts.

Seth's eyes widened before he abruptly turned his back to me. "Sorry."

"Give us the 'okay' when you're done." Emily laid the bundle of clothing on the ground before me and did the same.

What was I supposed to concentrate on? What was calming and peaceful enough to help me to shift back to my human form?

I closed my eyes and decided to concentrate on the memories of Jessi and Carla before I moved. The laughing and inside jokes we shared. The random moments that no one seemed to know what we were up too. The unspoken language we had and understooding among each other. I missed those days, but I liked being here too. I had found out so much about my past, and what and who I was.

I felt a release of tension in my muscles and the uncomfortable shifting of my body. I sank to my knees as I gathered my bearings. I quickly grabbed the clothes and slipped them over my body. The dark green dress was a little too big, but it was better than nothing. I stood on shaky legs and leaned against one of the trees. I suppose this weakness was an after affect of the shifting. I hoped I became used to it soon. I didn't like to feel weak and helpless.

"You guys can turn around now."

"How are you feeling?" Emily asked as she took a few steps towards me.

"A little weak . . . and nauseous."

She nodded. "It should go away in a few hours. You could be in a little bit of a shock. Why don't you come inside and rest for a bit. The others have a meeting with the elders so it should be fairly quiet for a while."

I followed slowly after her. I stumbled the first few steps to have Seth steady me. My eyes were drooping and I was starting to lose my senses.

"I've got you."

I managed to mumble a 'thanks' before I fell into the darkness.

* * *

><p>I woke to the sound of a door closing. The room I was in was dark only lighted by the strip of light to be coming from the bottom of the door. There were voices floating from beyond the door, although I couldn't make them out.<p>

The door abruptly opened. I groaned and shielded my eyes from the bright light.

"Oh, sorry." The door was closed. The edge of what I had been laying on sank from the new weight. Warm arms wrapped around my waist. I breathed in the comforting scent that I had grown to love. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, a little. I think . . . I think I need to go hunting." My throat was starting to tingle from the mere thought of feeding. "I most definitely need to hunt."

I felt Seth shift to life me up into his arms and carry me across the room.

"I can walk," I told him. I had to squint from the sudden light again.

"I know. I just haven't got to hold you in a while. Well, except for the times when you were unconscious."

I simply relaxed into his arms.

"We're going out. Charlotte needs to hunt," he said towards the other end of the hall. I was sure whoever he was talking to heard him because he kept walking.

He didn't set me down until we were a several yards into the forest.

"I'll be right behind you," he whispered before he kissed my cheek and disappeared only to reappear a few seconds later in his wolf from.

It felt nice to run. I did have some near collisions with a few trees and a few stumbles and falls, but other than that I managed to have a successful hunt. I had taken down two bucks before I was satisfied with a few drops of blood on myself. I was getting better at this hunting. Seth had stood to the side watching as I feed. I was a little self-conscious at first, but it went away as I started to enjoy the hunt.

"I'm done," I said as I skipped over to Seth.

He let out a small noise that sounded like laughter. "What's so funny?" I asked as I stopped before him. He shook his head and stood to his feet shaking out his fur.

I looked at him sheepishly. "I want to shift. I didn't have time to experience it the first time." He stared at me with wide eyes before he nodded.

I tried to concentrate on shifting into a wolf, but it wasn't working.

"How do I do it?" I asked after a few minutes. The last time I had been scared and thinking about running away from Drake.

_Anger_, a voice said. _That's how you shift_.

Anger? What angered me the most? Drake, most definitely. The last time I had been really anger was when I found out that everyone knew my mother was alive but me. I was starting to get mad just thinking about it. I hated being lied to.

There was a small popping sound and a yelp that escaped my mouth.

_You shifted_ . . . a voice said with a hint of amazement. This voice wasn't the same as the one before.

I opened my eyes to see Seth leaning over me.

_Oh_. I stood. _I guess I did._

I took a few steps away and found my legs to be steady. _This is weird. Everything's different._

_It takes a while to get used to._

I looked back at Seth. _What color am I? White? _I could only see my paws.

I saw him nod. _The only exception is you left hind leg._

I turned to examine it. The lower part was pure black. It looked like I had one black sock on.

_That's different._

_Ready to go back?_

_I'll race you! _I took off before he had a chance to respond. I laughed as I heard him swear and chase after me.

It was fairly easy to find the way back. My nose was heightened allowing me to smell our trails. I could hear Seth catching up quickly.

_You're still new to this. You can't outrun me just yet._

I saw him pass me out of the corner of my eye. _No fair! You're supposed to let me win!_

_Don't be a sore loser. I might let you win next time . . . maybe._

I grumbled to myself as followed. There wasn't any use to keep racing. It was clear that he had won.

We were about two miles away from Emily's house when I felt a disturbance. _Seth? Do you sense something?_

He slowed to run beside me. _Nothing out of the ordinary_.

I skidded to a stop and looked over my shoulder to the left. I was sure something was coming. By the speed at which it was approaching, it couldn't have been human.

_Charlotte_? Seth doubled back and stood on my right. _I assure you there's nothing there._

_But__–_

I was abruptly pushed back.

_Why did you__–_

The sight of movement caught my attention.

I growled as the person stepped into sight, the same spot we had been standing a few seconds ago.


	37. Ending and Beginning

{{Charlotte's POV}}

* * *

><p>Kayla stood nervously a few feet away. She had a scared look upon her face while she fidgeted with her hands.<p>

"Charlotte?" My growl deepened as she took a step forward. "We just came to warn you. Derek sent us." I saw Andrew fall in line behind Kayla. "The Volturi guards are still roaming around the area. There's been talk that the others will come, the three rulers. We've heard of them and don't plan to stick around for whatever they have planned."

Her features softened as she backed away. "I'm sorry for trying to change you. I didn't know how many people it would affect, how many loved you, who would do anything for you." Her eyes flickered beside me before settling back on me. "The rest of the Volturi should be here in a few hours." They both disappeared with Kayla's last warning.

Seth nudged my side. _We have to warn the pack._ We took of running back the way we came.

_Why would she agree to warn us? I thought she hated me._

_Some people change. Even vampires._

* * *

><p>We ended up at Arianna's house. The whole pack, along with my dad and Arianna, stood outside watching and waiting for any sign of a threat. If the Volturi were coming, they wanted to be ready.<p>

Seth had made me stay inside. I felt completely useless. Everyone else had something to do, but here I was stuck to the confinement of Emily's house. Personally, I thought that I should have been out there to begin with—after all, they were coming because of me.

"Stop worrying, Charlotte," Seth said for the fourth time within the hour as I paced around the living room.

"I can't. I feel so guilty that everyone is trying to protect me. What if someone gets hurt? What if someone gets killed? I can't have anyone sacrificing themselves for me!"

His arms wrapped around me as I started shaking with anger.

"It'll be fine. We _want_ to do this. Nothing bad is going to happen."

I wish I could believe him. But how could I when life was so unexpected?

There was a growl from outside. The door slammed open and Quil poked his head in.

"Charlotte. I think there's someone here to see you."

Seth was at the window before I had a chance to turn around. He also growled before heading out the door after Quil. I pulled back the white curtains to see what was happening. It took a second to locate where this person was. He stood at the edge of the line if trees with his hands in his pockets. Seth was striding forward with an angry expression clearly visible on his face. I glanced back to the figure and gasped as I realized who it was.

I sprung to my feet and ran outside. I dived between the two boys just as Seth reached him.

"Drake? What are you doing here?"

"I came to help."

"You're not wanted here." Seth's voice was hard and cold as he glared at Drake. Seth pulled me back against his chest. "Now leave before I end up doing something I might regret."

"Wait. I can really help you. Let me—"

"I suggest you explain quickly." All three of us looked up to see Sam walking towards us. "It might just be the last thing you do."

Drake straightened and addressed the alpha. "I was trying to explain. The Volutri are coming because they see Charlotte as a threat, right? The Cullens told me that they left without a fight last time, because they deemed Reneesme to be safe. All you have to do is convince them that Charlotte isn't a threat."

Sam shook his head. "It isn't that simple. They have rules and laws. If they see her as a potential threat, they will either take her or kill her. And as we werewolves are protecting her, they could just possibly destroy us as well."

I cringed at the thought of anyone dying because of me.

Seth's arms tightened around me. "Nothing like that is going to happen," he whispered into my ear.

"But it most definitely could."

Everyone whipped around to see the three legendary Volutri leaders, dressed in black flowing robes, and the guards we had encountered earlier stopping a few yards away. The one in the middle stepped further out.

"My name is Aro, and this is Marcus and Caius. As to the reason of our arrival, I presume you already know." Aro's eyes landed on mine. "This woman, Charlotte Alexandria Duckling . . . her existence has been quiet unusual and has been therefore called to our attention."

I felt Seth take a step back. Sam and Drake did the same.

"I can see that some of you are afraid." Aro looked around the gathered group then back to the four of us. He flashed his pearly white, sharpened teeth. "But I assure you that no one is going to die today if everything goes as planned to my liking." He pulled a slip of paper from within the folds of his back robe. "Carlisle has informed me that Charlotte is not a threat, merely one of a kind—a mutt of sorts if you will." He let out a small laugh.

"So for the time being, we will let this go. In the meantime, I will have a few of my guards keep an eye on you." He gestured behind him and three guards stepped forward. "They will stay out of the way. You will hardly ever see or notice their presence as they blend in very well." The three guards disappeared. "This is the second time we've come to Forks, and we are leaving empty-handed just the same. Such a shame." He shook his head and continued. "For the future of all creatures in Forks, this better be the last." Aro turned and walked away with the other following without another word.

Everyone was frozen for the next few minutes.

"So . . . I guess that is my key to leave." I turned to see Drake retreating.

"Wait!" He stopped and turned to me. "Thanks."

He nodded. "If you ever need me, I'll come." His face softened. "And I'm sorry for what happened between us." I nodded as he looked to Seth. "Take care of her."

He grumbled but didn't say a word. Drake left with a final nod.

_I'll always remember you, Charlotte._ It was the same voice from before. The one who told me the key to changing forms. It was Drake's . . . .

So that was the end. No action-packed war. No deaths or causalities. No sob story. It ended when the Volutri turned their backs to us and walked away . . . .

* * *

><p>A week later, we got a message from the Cullens that said they left to meet with the Volutri and explained that I wasn't a threat. I suppose as Carlisle had known them for so long finally paid off. They were now staying in Alaska visiting with some friends. A few of them had left to go off on their own for a while. Edward and Bella were coming back in a few days so Jacob could see Reneeseme.<p>

Seth and I had finished school without any problems from the Volutri. We could feel the stares of the guards sometimes, but we eventually learned how ignore them. After a few years, we noticed that we could no longer feel them.

I had moved back to Forks when I was done with college. I now stayed in Arianna's house as she had moved in with Dad. At the moment, I was lugging some of my stuff into the master bedroom and setting it beside a box that belonged to Seth. We had decided to move in together. He was supposed to be helping, but I hadn't seen him for almost two hours.

"Charlotte?" someone called from the direction of the front door. "Are you here?"

Was that Jacob? "Yeah. I'm in the bedroom," I called out. I looked up as the person stopped at the door. It was Jacob. "Hey. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Reneesme?" I knew she was coming home from college for the fall break. I would have thought Jacob would be spending every second with her.

"Seth asked me to come get you."

"That boy is supposed to be helping moving this stuff in." I was slightly mad, but it was so like Seth to become easily distracted.

"Don't worry. He's doing productive things." Jacob smiled a knowing smile. "Come on. We don't have time to waste."

I was suspicious as to where he was leading me as he grabbed my arm and towed me from the room. We stopped just short of the open front door. I could hear people murmuring outside.

"What's happening out there?" I craned my neck trying to get a closer look. Jacob stepped in front of me.

"Close your eyes." I opened my mouth to protest, but he quickly continued. "Trust me. Please. Nothing bad is waiting out there."

I scowled and did what he asked. "Now what?"

I felt his warm hands take mine. "Now we take a little trip outside. I'll guide you."

I was pulled forward out into the open air. The talking died down until it was completely silent. We walked a few yards before stopping and Jacob dropped my hands.

"Stay right here. Don't move. Don't open your eyes."

I nodded and felt him walk to my left. Someone else was approaching from my right. I took a deep breath and smiled as he stopped before me.

"You can open your eyes now."

I blinked up at Seth. "Seth. Where did you disappear too? Moving all this stuff in is not easy."

He chuckled. "I know. I just had some things to do."

"Like what?"

He was suddenly down on one knee on the ground. "I know this might be sudden for you, but I've had enough time to think it through." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, dark blue box. "We've been through some rough times since you moved here, but I'm still glad I got to do them with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with no one else but you. I love you with everything I have. Charlotte Alexandria Duckling . . . will you marry me?"

I let out a squeal and dove into his open arms. Seth laughed and held me tightly to his chest.

"So . . . was that a 'yes'?" a voice muttered from beside us.

I looked over Seth's shoulder to find most of the pack, my parents standing off to the side. I noticed Jacob laughing silently to himself.

I turned back to Seth and smiled through my tears. "It's most definitely a yes." I kissed him hard as I heard a round of congratulations start. "I love you, too, Seth."

* * *

><p>(AN): So that's it. That's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed it. :)


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